


Pretty Soldier Sailor Stellar

by vanderlindemorgan



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Sailor Moon, F/M, also villain redemption bc redemption is good, look its my lifes work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-04-08 04:04:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 62,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19099387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanderlindemorgan/pseuds/vanderlindemorgan
Summary: Hikari is a normal girl living in Tokyo, Japan but she wishes she was something more. On a particularly bad day, she is met by Guardian Cosmos, who grants her the powers of a Sailor Soldier and takes her to the world of Sailor Moon. There, she must decide who to trust and who to protect.





	1. Act 1 - Hikari, Sailor Stellar

This is a story of a girl, who was a little bit strange .Ok, a lot strange. She always barely scraped through school, and was forever plagued as being the weird kid after she declared that time travellers could exist. Her only pleasures were watching anime and eating cheesecake.

This is her story.

It was a bright sunny afternoon in Tokyo, and it was well past the school finishing time. The students of Sakiru Saoi Junior High had either already left or stayed at school to participate in club activities. A few girls had stayed behind to corner the strange girl. The brown haired pigtailed girl stood in the middle. Her bag was left tossed on the ground, and the bullies had her surrounded.  “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” The black haired girl taunted, her ponytail blowing in the breeze.

The blonde wavy haired girl laughed. “Kagayaki Hikari, you’re such a weirdo!”.

Hikari clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. “All I did was ask if you had seen any time travellers around…..” she muttered under her breath.

“What did you say? Speak up, I can’t hear you!”.

“I said, all I did was ask if you had seen any time travellers around!” Hikari barked.

“Ooh, you getting smart with me, are you? You think you’re so brave standing up to the big bad bullies. Well guess what,  this is the real world. Time travellers don’t exist, and people like you only exist for the cool people to boss around” The blonde girl mocked her.

She clenched her fists even tighter. Oh, god, she hated Caprice Clifford. If she could she would slap her to the ground, but she would get suspended and her friend Arai was there, and Arai was one of the top martial artists. She wouldn’t stand a chance. Instead, she hissed “You’re wrong. They do exist”.

Caprice rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you really are such a space case! Arai, put this bitch in her place”.

“My pleasure”. Arai Arashi stepped forward and raised her fist. Hikari winced and braced herself for a tough impact when a sudden voice rang out. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”.

Hikari turned and saw and black haired beauty with fierce amber eyes. She wore the red sailor uniform and sported a light green bow in her hair. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Kiyomi!’.

“Hey, you can’t just barge in while we’re doing something! Who the hell are you anyway?” Caprice demanded.

“It doesn’t matter who I am. Leave my friend alone or else” Kiyomi warned with an icy tone.

“And I guess this is the part where I say “Or else what”. Any other clichés you want to present?” Caprice scoffed.

Kiyomi ran forward and karate kicked Caprice in the face, knocking her glasses off in the process. She fell to the ground, bruised and defeated. “Ugh, look what you did to my face!”.

“Caprice-sama, what should we do?” Arai asked.

“Let’s go. I need to wash my face” Caprice said, putting her glasses back on. She slowly rose to her feet and pointed at Hikari and Kiyomi. “I’ll be back for both of you, and when that happens you’ll be sorry you hurt my precious face”. Without another word, she and Arai staggered around the corner and left the school.

Hikari grabbed her bag and began to walk off. “You ok, Hikari-chan?” Kiyomi asked out of concern.

“I’m fine, Kiyomi”.

Kiyomi walked up to her and they both exited the school grounds. “Well, that’s good to hear, but what did you do?”.

Hikari turned around. “I’m sorry – what did I do? All I did was ask if she had seen any time travellers around. Caprice and her minion took it too far” she snapped.

Kiyomi sighed. “Time travellers? My god, Hikari, you really are starting to become a lot like Haruhi Suzumiya. At least you’re more open minded then the rest of humanity”.

“They might exist somewhere…..look, I don’t really want to talk about it, ok?”.

For a while, the rest of the walk home was shrouded in an awkward silence. Kiyomi didn’t really know what to say, and Hikari just wanted to get home as fast as possible and forget everything.

“Are you over Sora-kun?”. Without even thinking, the words slipped from her mouth. She quickly gasped. “Oh no…..Hikari-chan….”.

She had stopped in the middle of the footpath up ahead, her eyes widening. The memories of the last few months were coming back to her, the memories she tried to forget. “Sora-chan……why…..”. Tears began to fall down her pretty face.

“Hikari-chan, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Kiyomi raced up to where her friend was standing and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Hikari quickly rubbed her eyes to get rid of the tears. “I’m fine….Look, I don’t want to have this conversation now. I need to go home and read some good shipping fanfics…..”. Shrugging off Kiyomi’s hand, she bounded down the road towards the railroad crossing.

“Ok, see you tomorrow?” Kiyomi yelled.

_My name is Kagayaki Hikari. I’m a 13 year old Japanese middle schooler. I attend Sakiru Saoi Junior High in the Juuban district of Tokyo. I like reading and writing fanfiction, drawing random anime characters and eating cheesecake. Those two you saw before were Caprice Clifford and Arai Arashi, the two popular girls of Sakiru Saoi.They like teasing me because I’m considered “weird” in this world. I’m feel so close to the brink of insanity. Can I die already?_

She had finally reached her home. Throwing open her bedroom door, she tossed her school bag onto the bed and sat down at her desk, activating her laptop. Adjusting her earphones, she scrolled through her Youtube playlist and picked a random song to play. Hikari was about to go on a website when she was notified of a new email.

_Weird, I don’t usually get emails. I should check to see if it’s important, though it’s probably another spam email._

She opened up her email and clicked on the new message. The subject line was left blank, as well as the sender’s name. The email itself read “Kagayaki Hikari, we have very important matters to discuss. Meet me at Ichi-No-Hashi park at 3:30 PM tomorrow. Do not be late”.

Sitting back on her desk chair, she pondered what do next. Since she couldn’t even tell who sent the message, should she really go meet them? People who usually sent shady emails to young girls were creepy old men or serial killers.

“Oh what the heck. If I get killed, good riddance.  I’ve really got nothing going for me!”.

She walked over to her bed, and without even bothering to change clothes, she collapsed and began to fall asleep.

At 3:30 PM the next day, Hikari stood by the fountain in Ichi-No-Hashi, waiting for the sender of the email to show themselves. Not a moment too soon, a golden haired woman walked towards her. She had sunglasses on and a large hat was obscuring most of her face. She wore mostly white clothing, save for her red high heels.

“So, Kagayaki Hikari. There is no time for small talk, so let’s get to the heart of the matter”.

“I’m sorry but who are you?” Hikari asked.

“Like I said: no time for small talk! We must leave before anything else happens”. The golden haired woman grabbed Hikari by the wrist and used her fingernails to rip through the fabric of reality and summon a portal. Both of them went in.

She felt like she was falling. There was nothing around her but bright lights. Was she in the space time continuum? A few metres away from her, the golden haired woman was also falling. “Who the hell are you?” Hikari yelled.

The woman began to transform, and she morphed into a small, fairy sized woman with long silvery hair and a transparent dress. Hikari recognised her immediately. “Guardian Cosmos?!”.

Guardian Cosmos twirled her staff and summoned a brooch. It was lavender coloured and had the symbol of the Black Moon in the centre and electric blue gems on the outside. She pressed it into Hikari’s hands. “Use this brooch to transform into Sailor Stellar, and right all of the wrong that have been created in this world. To transform, shout ‘Stellar Prism Power, Make-Up!’”.

“But what is my mission? What am I supposed to do with these powers?” Hikari questioned. Guardian Cosmos was fading away. “You already know what the mission is in your heart. Now go!”.

The space time continuum faded, and Hikari found herself falling through the air. She landed in thick bushes next to a lake. “Dang it, why couldn’t have I landed in the lake instead?”. Quickly standing up and picking the leaves out of her pigtails, she left the park and quickly walked around. She soon spotted a candy store. “Oh boy, I could use some Smile Dip right now”. She entered the store and quickly found the packets on the shelves. Walking up to the counter, she placed it down and gave the cashier her money. The lady smiled and handed back her change. “Thank you, and have a nice day!”.

Hikari left the store and was about to open the Smile Dip before something clicked in her mind. _Hey, didn’t that cashier seem a little bit familiar?_ . Turning around, she looked through the stores glass display windows and saw the cashier. _Dark purple hair, shaped in a cat hairstyle, black crystal earrings……_ Hikari gasped. It was Koan!

_This must mean I’ve landed in 1992, in the Sailor Moon R universe. Funny enough, I don’t remember seeing an episode about the Ayakashi Sisters using a candy store to infect people with droids but that was definitely Koan. My mission must be to save the Black Moon and stop the Sailor Soldiers from killing them. After all, they were merely under the influence of Wiseman._

_Since this is a candy store, Usagi is bound to show up eventually, and Chibiusa too! I gotta stake out the store until they get here._

It took a mere hour for Usagi and Chibiusa Tsukino to walk along the promenade and spot the candy shop. “Ooh, candy! I hope they sell Sour Straps!” Usagi cried. Both girls ran into the shop to make their purchases. A few minutes later, Chibiusa screamed for help as she was grabbed by Koan. Usagi managed to hide behind one of the shelves and call the other Soldiers for help, before transforming into Sailor Moon. Hikari took this as her cue to transform also. “Stellar Prism Power, Make-Up!”.

Sailor Stellar watched the fight unfold before her eyes. Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Mercury had arrived and were now battling Koan. “Shine Aqua Illusion!” Sailor Mercury cried, flinging her water based attack at the woman. Jupiter decided to use her Sparkling Wide Pressure and combine it with Mercury’s attack. Unfortunately, both attacks collided with Koan’s Dark Fire, and exploded into huge beams of light.

Stellar watched as Sailor Moon pulled out her Cutie Moon Rod. _Get ready for it_. “Moon Princess Halation!”.

Sailor Stellar leapt into the air and pointed her finger towards the beam of moonlight. “Eclipse Ray!”. She had managed to divert Moon’s attack and had landed on top of a building.  Koan looked up, shocked at what had happened. “Who did that?”.

The Sailor Soldiers looked up to see who had fired that attack. Their eyes settled on a pigtailed brown haired girl, with aqua and lavender Sailor fuku. She had white feather barrettes in her hair, and light pink bows to hold her hair up.  Her boots were coloured electric blue and had the Black Moon symbol on the top of them. A small green and pink charm dangled from the hip line of the costume.

“You’re a Sailor Soldier?” Sailor Moon exclaimed.

Sailor Stellar turned to Koan and ordered her to leave the scene. Koan nodded and quickly teleported away. Stellar gracefully ascended down to the ground and began to walk away before Sailor Venus yelled out “Hey! You’ve got some explaining to do. Why did you divert Sailor Moon’s attack?”.

“I couldn’t let you kill an innocent” Stellar replied coldly.

“Innocent? She’s the enemy!” Sailor Mars snapped.

“Do you know why these people are lashing out at you?”.

Sailor Mars opened her mouth to answer but stopped because she realised that she didn’t know the answer. None of the other Soldiers could answer Stellar either.

“Exactly. You don’t know anything about them. To call them enemies without even knowing their motives is incredibly stupid. I would have expected better from the mighty Sailor Soldiers”. She summoned a Crystal Sword and set it in front of her face. “I have a mission and I intend to fulfil it. If you get in the way I will be forced to kill you”.

“But we’re both Sailor Soldiers! Surely we can understand each other?” Sailor Moon cried.

“You think wrong Moon Princess. We aren’t the same”. Without warning, Sailor Stellar charged towards Sailor Moon and attempted to strike her. Moon noticed just in time and managed to dodge the sword.

“Burning Mandala!”

“Crescent Boomerang!”

“Shine Aqua Illusion!”

“Flower Hurricane!”

Sailor Stellar summoned a star shaped shield to deflect the attacks. She laughed. “That’s all you’ve got? I’m not wasting my time fighting you. I’ve got better things to do”. Stellar then teleported away.

“Where did she go?”.

“Who cares, she’s gone now. Are you alright Usagi?” Sailor Jupiter asked.

“I am but I need to know why she struck us like that!”.

“Usagi, it’s pretty obvious she’s working with the enemy” Sailor Venus sighed.

“But she had a point…..”

“Usagi, ever so naïve, she’s a rogue Sailor Soldier! Of course she’s evil!” Sailor Mars clacked her tongue and ruffled the girls hair.

“We should get back to Hikawa Shrine to discuss the new developments” Sailor Mercury said. The rest of the Soldiers nodded and de-transformed. Usagi picked up an unconscious Chibiusa and walked away with the others.


	2. Act 2 - Black Moon, Sailor Stellar

Sailor Stellar landed suddenly on a black marble floor, in the middle of the grand hallway.  _ I’ve made it, I’m on Nemesis. Phrase one of my plan is complete: save Koan. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the Clan of the Black Moon will instantly trust me. In order to warn them about the danger they’re in, I must become one of them! I must find Saphir! _

She quickly de-transformed, and commenced walking down the long hallway. Saphir was an alchemist and the creator of the Droids, so he’d have to have a lab somewhere. Hikari opened the first door to reveal a large sitting room with fancy furniture. Nobody was in there.

Hikari continued to check through the castle, trying to find the lab. Eventually, she began to grow tired.  _ Ok, this better be it, or else I’m gonna throw a riot. _

Opening the door, she found herself in a large bedroom. There was two large doors off the side, one which lead to a walk in closet, the other leading to a bathroom. A mahogany table was placed beside the bed, which was draped with light blue sheets. 

“Where is this freaking lab? I’ve had to do so much walking, and it’s really starting to wear me out” Hikari pouted. Glancing at the bed, an Idea popped into her head.  _ I’m so tired…..i’ll go look for him later, I wanna sleep! _ .

She walked over to the bed and climbed under the covers, instantly falling asleep. 

Further up the hallway,  Berthier was walking towards her room hastily.  _ These shoes are killing me, I have to go change them! _ . Doing this would make her late for the meeting, but she didn’t care. She was more concerned about blisters forming on her feet.

When she reached the door, she noticed that it had been opened slightly.  _ Who’s been in there? It better not be Calaveras – she is always trying to steal my clothes! _ . Berthier walked in and screamed. There was a girl in her bed!

She marched over to the bed and yanked Hikari out of it. “What are you doing in my room? How did you get in this castle? You better not have touched any of my stuff you rascal!” she yelled.

Hikari slowly opened her eyes, and looked up. “Oh, hey Berthier…..” she said groggily.

Berthier was taken aback. How did this girl know her name?. “……….I don’t know how you know my name but you shouldn’t be here. You’re coming with me”. With a wave of her hand, a pair of handcuffs carved from ice appeared on Hikari’s wrists. “Wait, I was just-“.

“Save your overblown excuses. You don’t have much longer to live anyway” Berthier said, using her magic to pull her forward. She lead her out of the room and down a couple of hallways before throwing open a large double door dramatically. “Prince Demande-sama! I caught this girl in my room. I have no idea how she got in the castle, or how she was even able to access Nemesis.  She could be a spy for the Sailor Soldiers”.

“No wait, I can explain!” Hikari begged, looking up at the prince, who was sitting on his throne, looking disinterested.  _ He’s actually here……with the rest of them…..i finally get to see him in person _ . She unintentionally started blushing, and stared at her feet. 

“Explain yourself then. How did you get in my castle? You’re not from here”.

Hikari scratched her head and began to laugh.“Well…..i’m not from around in this area, I’m just here on official business, and I happened to be passing by when-“.

“Cut it already, you little imp. Nobody here’s believing you anyway so you might as well spit out the truth” Rubeus barked.

“Ok, well……I want to join your cause!”.

Everyone in the room stared at her in awe. It was such a bold request, something nobody had ever asked before. Demande stared at Hikari, trying to see if she was lying.  _ What is she trying to pull? _

“A human? A human wants to join our glorious clan? That’ll keep me laughing for weeks!” Rubeus cackled, slapping his knee.

“I do! I do want to join! I hate the idea of Crystal Tokyo, and the fact they just offer their citizens longevity without even remembering that death is a natural part of life! Everything living must die, and to eradicate death itself causes so many problems, such as overpopulation. Neo-Queen Serenity is just a dictator who acts all sugary sweet but is really a stonehearted killer! I know how she killed your family’s and how she banished you all to this desolate planet. I can help you take her down! I know how to!”.

“You’re just an ordinary human though. What power do you have?” Esmeraude sneered.

Hikari reached into her school skirt pocket and pulled out her brooch. “Believe me, I do have powers, powers equal to theirs”.

Koan looked at the brooch with curiosity. It seemed familiar but she couldn’t quite place where she had seen it before. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. That was the exact same brooch the Sailor Soldier who saved her had. Which meant that that girl was the mysterious Soldier!

“Hey, I know you…..you’re the soldier who saved me from Sailor Moon’s attack!” Koan gasped.

“Yes, I am the one who saved Koan. And I can save you all from death if you just let me join your Clan. Please?” Hikari smiled.

Demande was conflicted. She was a Sailor Soldier, meaning she had outstanding powers, but weren’t all of the Sailor Soldiers meant to be heroes who fought against people like them? He didn’t believe her to be lying, but it was very hard to tell. She may just be pretty skilled at the art of lying.

_ She is pretty cute, maybe you should keep her around just to fuck with her. _

He shook his head. No, he wouldn’t do anything to her, he loved Serenity. After a minute of silence, Demande sighed. “Alright, fine, you can stay”.

Both Esmeraude and Rubeus protested against this but Demande glared at them and they both fell silent. He turned his attention back to Hikari. “But you are our prisoner, so don’t even think about escaping. You cannot go on solo missions and if we find out you’re a spy then you’ll be dead within an hour. Is that understood?”.

Hikari nodded her head. “Yes, my prince”.

Esmeraude clenched her fists and smirked. _ Silly girl. He’s not your prince, he’s mine. _

“What is your name?”.

“Hmm?” Hikari was staring at the prince, daydreaming.

“Your name- what is it?”.

“Kagayaki Hikari” She said.

Demande turned to his brother who was standing beside him. “Saphir, take Hikari to the Star Room. She can stay there”.

“The Star Room? Don’t you think that’s a bit too luxurious for a prisoner?” Saphir questioned.

“Did I stammer, Saphir? Take her there” He shouted.

Saphir sighed, and walked past Hikari, grabbing her hand. “I’ll show you where the room is”.

The rest of the walk was shrouded in an awkward silence. Saphir kept glancing back at the girl.  _ Who does she think she is? Just showing up here unannounced and proclaiming partnership. But if Onee-san is okay with her, I guess I just have to roll with it. _

Likewise, Hikari kept on staring at Saphir.  _ I can’t believe I actually got to meet all of them! But I wish he wouldn’t tug my hand so tightly _ .

They reached a door with a beautiful crescent moon pattern engraved into it. Saphir opened it, and Hikari walked into the circular room. There was a canopy bed in the middle of it, and a large dial pattern was engraved into the ground with a number of symbols: the middle symbol being a large 11 pointed star with two crescent moons, one black and one white. The outer parts of the room where raised slightly, and had pillars holding up the roof. There was a desk, an empty row of bookcases and a bunch of random boxes stacked in one corner.

Hikari marvelled at the beauty of it all. It certainly beat her old room back in Tokyo. She turned to thank Saphir but he had already left. 

_ I wonder what’s in those boxes over there?  _ Hikari wondered. She ran over and opened the one at the top. In there she found a whole lot of stuff  that belonged to her when she lived in Tokyo. “My stuff…..how did it get here?”. She searched the box for an explanation, and happened upon a note.

_ I thought you would like these back <3 – Guardian Cosmos _

“Thank you Cosmos…..” Hikari whispered.  She set about unpacking her belongings and placing them around the room.

Meanwhile at Hikawa Shrine, The Sailor Soldiers were at hard work trying to decipher the identity of the mysterious Soldier. Usagi was stuffing her face with the biscuits Rei had set out, and Ami was reading a book on Quantum Physics. Chibiusa had been taken back to the Tsukino residence.  “Ok, so first things first: The mysterious Soldier. Who was she, why did she save that witch and why did she attack us. Any ideas?” Makoto announced.

“She’s got to be aligned with the enemy. Why else would she attack us? It makes sense after all” Rei proclaimed.

“Yes, Rei, we know she’s got to be at least associated with the enemy. But the real question is her identity. In the brief look we got of her I noticed her to have her chestnut brown hair in pigtails with purple bows holding them together. Her uniform seemed to look like ours except it was adorned with black crescent moons.  We know one thing. She obviously can’t be a Droid, as we threw many attacks at her and she didn’t deteriorate in anyway.” Minako said.

Ami briefly looked up from her book to add “Plus she could talk and had a mind of her own”.

“Do you think she’s just some cheap cosplayer who wants the thrill of the battle? Her uniform looked a bit cheap, and we are very popular superheroes”.

“That theory presents us with some problems though. Even though she only used her magic twice, it seemed very real and super powerful. Why would the enemy hire a cosplayer anyway? They have real powers, so they don’t need some dork in a sailor suit to come along and join the ranks. Plus this is the first time we’ve seen a Sailor Soldier who isn’t one of the Solar System protectors like us. Maybe the style of our uniform is universal, and all Sailors have it, regardless of if they protect the planets of the Solar System or not” Minako pondered. It would have been more helpful if they had got to take part in an actual battle with her so they could determine how powerful her magic was.

“Remember, she said that we were “killing innocents”. Does she really truly that the enemy is in the right?” Ami said.

“Maybe she is a legit Senshi but was captured and brainwashed to serve the enemies evil plans?” Usagi spluttered, continuing to munch on the biscuits.

Minako slammed her fist on the table. “Yes, I like you’re thinking Usagi! That would explain everything! All we have to do is convince her to be on our side and everything will be ok!”.

“I don’t know. You guys sure she’s not pure evil?” Rei said. The girl had threatened to kill Usagi, and anyone who tried to kill the Moon Princess usually didn’t escape. Rei was annoyed that she wasn’t able to finish the Soldier right then and there.

“Positive”.

Hikari had been assigned to a mission that would take place in Tokyo City. She was to work with Koan, and she figured that this was a good time to fix the bugs in the current plans.

She opened a door and noticed Koan lounging on a couch. “Hey!”. She went and sat down on the couch opposite her. “So what’s the plan?”.

“What we’ve been doing so far is replacing the people of Past Tokyo with Droids. The real versions get stored in our dungeons”.

Hikari nodded. “Well, for now let’s stick to the original plan. That way I can work out the flaws and create a new and improved version”.

There was a long awkward silence between them before Koan finally looked up to face Hikari. “Who are you? Really?”.

Hikari smiled coyly and began to play with her fingernails. “This might sound strange but in all honesty it’s the truth. I am from the other world”.

Koan blinked. ”The…..Other…..World……what is that?” She asked.

“The Other World is reality. Magic doesn’t exist, and  there are no empires made of Crystal and superheroes who save the day. There’s just a bunch of grey buildings and pollution. In reality, you guys are all characters in an anime and manga. You’re nothing more than works of fiction”.

“And what happens to us in these works of fiction?” Koan pressed, eager for more information.

“It differs in each version. In the anime, you and your sisters were saved and live as ordinary humans”.

“That doesn’t sound so bad”.

“But in the manga you get killed off without a second thought”.

Koan was speechless. Was it really her destiny to just die? 

“I wasn’t sure at first, but now there is no doubt about it. This world follows the manga timeline. My dream was to save all of you and have you live out long lives not clouded with despair. That’s why I’m here! Guardian Cosmos granted me amazing powers, and helped me become the girl I was meant to be. But enough about me.  Let’s go to the mission!”.

Both Koan and Hikari proceeded to teleport to the Shiba district of Tokyo, where large crowds of people were bustling through the streets. Hikari turned to Koan. “There’s a lot of people here, so this seems like a good place to start the attack. Summon the Droids!”.

Koan nodded and a bunch of Droids spawned and descended to the ground. The people below looked up to the Droids looming over them. They began to use their powers to possess them.

“You keep swapping them out, I’ll go wait in the shadows. The Sailor Soldiers are sure to turn up eventually” Hikari said, leaving the scene.

The citizens continued to scream in agony. “Why are you doing this to us?” A businessman growled, facing Koan who was hovering a few feet away. She smiled darkly. “In time, you will find out. But right now, we need you for something”.

Little did Koan know that Ami Mizuno had been among the crowd of people who had been attacked. She opened her communicator and screamed into it “Please…help….the enemy! It’s here!”.

“Ami? What’s going on!? Where are you?” Usagi’s voice crackled on the other end of the line.

“A few streets away from Tokyo Tower…..hurry!”. She closed her communicator and reached into her pocket and pulled out the Star Power stick.   _ I can’t let the enemy hurt all these people! _

“Mercury Star Power, Make-Up!”.

Ami had invoked the transformation, and within seconds she had become the Soldier of Water, Sailor Mercury. “Hurting the innocent civilians of Tokyo and replacing them with your Droids! I will not stand for it! I am Soldier of Love and Intellect, Sailor Mercury! Douse yourself in water and repent!”.

“Ugh, it’s you. Why can’t you silly little Soldiers learn to mind your own business?”. She summoned a large ring of fire. “Prepare to meet your fate! Dark Fire!”.

Mercury attempted to combat the fire with her Shabon Spray but was pushed back into the window of a clothing store. She quickly stood herself and up and dashed back outside. “Shine Aqua Illusion!”.

Koan was mostly unfazed by the wave of water. “Is that really all you can do?”. She clicked her fingers and Mercury felt a strong jab in her arm. She began to be lifted into the air, and screamed in agony as she felt her body being pulled and beaten. Koan moved her arm to her right and Mercury was slammed into the wall of the building beside her. 

“You can do nothing against me. I can control you now”. She heard Mercury whimper. “Aww, don’t cry. I’ll make your death quick and painless”.

“Mercury, hang on!” Sailor Moon cried out, racing towards Koan. She reached for her tiara and pulled it from her head. “Moon Tiara Boomerang!”.

The tiara hit Koan and knocked her down, releasing Sailor Mercury from her psychokinesis. “Sailor Moon, Mars, Jupiter…….you’re all here…..” Mercury panted.

“Fire Soul!”

“Supreme Thunder Dragon!”.

Both attacks hit Koan full force, and blasted her further down the road. “You annoying twits…..how dare you….”.

Sailor Moon twirled around and called forth her Cutie Moon Rod. “The hero’s always prevail, that’s just the law of the universe. Moon Princess-“.

Just as she was about to finish her spell, Moon was hit by a ray of light and was smacked to the ground, the rod flung a few feet away. “Sailor Moon!”. The Soldiers cried and went to their Princess’ aid. Sailor Stellar flung herself from her hiding place and landed spectacularly in front of the Inner Soldiers.

Mars looked up and glared at the girl. “You…..”.

“Well now, doesn’t this seem familiar?” Stellar chuckled.

“How could you? You hurt our princess. You could have killed her! Who do you think you are?!” Jupiter snapped, trying to help Sailor Moon to her feet. 

“Glad you asked. I am the Sailor Soldier who fights for REAL justice. I am Sailor Stellar! In the name of the Black Moon, I’ll punish you!”.

“Black Moon?” Sailor Moon muttered.

Stellar grinned furiously and held up her hand. “Sun Spectrum!” . A large spiralling ray of energy sped towards them.

Everyone gets blasted back.

“Why is she so powerful?” Jupiter spat. She charged forward and tried to kick Sailor Stellar but she just grabbed a hold of her leg in mid-air and sighed like it was no big deal. “I expected better of you, Sailor Jupiter” she said, letting go of the Soldiers leg. Jupiter then tried to punch her but Stellar also caught her fist. 

Mars charged forward.“Burning Mandala!”

Stellar deflected the attack with her Solar Shield. “You can’t stop me no matter what you do!”. She began to walk towards Sailor Moon, who was still lying on the ground. Crouching down to her level, Sailor Stellar took the girl’s chin in her hand and lifted it up. “It seems you didn’t take my warning to heart. Well, I’m sorry, Miss Moon Princess. It’s time to kill you”. She summoned her Crystal Sword and struck it.

“No!!”. Sailor Mars dashed forward and pushed Moon out of the way. The sword narrowly missed hitting Mars, instead pining the edge of her skirt to the ground. “What?” Stellar said in disbelief. She turned to see Mars and Moon to the right of her. “Stop getting in my way! I don’t care for you, I want her!”

“I don’t care how many threats you make…..or how many times you strike that sword, but I will never abandon my Princess!” Sailor Mars screamed.

“You’ll never get her Stellar!” Mercury cried.

“What should we do now?” Koan whispered to her accomplice.

“Forfeit. There’s no point killing them now since we’re missing two” Stellar replied, using her magic to dissolve the sword.” You got lucky this time. But next time I won’t be so nice. We got that clear?”

The Soldiers said nothing, instead choosing to glare ferociously. “I’ll take that as a yes. Here’s a little something to remember me by!”. Both Stellar and Koan were gone, and in there place was a dozen Droids. The Droids advanced forward to begin their assault.

“Sailor Moon! Use your crystal!” Jupiter cried out.

“Right! Moon Crystal Power!” Sailor Moon yelled, raising her Silver Crystal above her head. The crystal emitted a bright pink light, dissolving the Droids and reviving the citizens of Tokyo. 

Back on Nemesis, the two girls arrived back, dishevelled and defeated. Koan left to change her clothes, and Hikari was going to follow her but was apprehended by Rubeus. “How did the plan go?” 

“As I expected, it was a failure. But I’ve worked out the errors and am at work devising a new plan”.

“Where is the rabbit?”.

“She wasn’t in the vicinity at the time”.

Rubeus sighed. “Do what you will with the civilians, I don’t care but our priority is the kid. Understand?”.

Hikari nodded, and began to exit the room before Rubeus called out after her. “Good, oh and Hikari, just because our Prince let you live doesn’t mean I’m going to trust you right away. Have I made myself clear?”.

“Crystal clear” Hikari glared at him.


	3. Act 3 - Kiyomi, Sailor Galaxy

Class had finally ended, and it was lunchtime. The students of Sakiru Saoi reached for their bags to grab their lunch. Some exited the room, while others changed seats to sit with their friends. Alone in the third row window desk, Kiyomi Hakirui opened her bento and began to eat it. It had been an average, boring day. There was a surprise test in English that morning, as well as a new Science assignment. She looked at the desk behind her – still empty. Kiyomi didn’t know what she was expecting, after all, Hikari hadn’t come into school the past three days. While she was known to skip school on random occasions, Kiyomi was beginning to worry, since the last time she saw her friend was after she had saved her from bullies.

“Hey Kiyomi-san, do you mind if I sit here?”.

She looked up to the owner of the voice: a dark brown haired girl with tanned skin and hazel eyes smiled down at her. She was fairly short, and had an arm full of colourful slap bracelets. 

“Oh, sure Alya” Kiyomi replied.

Alya smiled and sat down at Hikari’s desk and began eating. Kiyomi stared out the window, trying to  think of something other than her best friend, to no avail. She turned her chair around to face Alya, and sat back down to eat. The bento her mother had made up the night before seemed to stick in her throat. She couldn’t go on any longer, she had to ask someone. “Hey, Alya, I was wondering if you knew why Hikari hasn’t come into school the past three days”.

Alya looked up at her, confused. “Wait….hold on a second…..who’s Hikari?”.

“You know, Kagayaki Hikari, the girl who sat behind me?”

“Sorry Kiyomi-san, but there is no one in our class with that name” Alya said, shaking her head.

Kiyomi stood up abruptly, shocked at this revelation. “You’re kidding, right? Come on, everyone knew Hikari! In fact, I remember everyone hated her for no real reason” she questioned.

“I’m sorry, Kiyomi, I don’t know this Kagayaki Hikari!”

“What’s going on over here?” A male student with slick back blonde hair walked over to them, having heard the commotion. “Kiyomi-san’s trying to find a Kagayaki Hikari. She thinks that she used to be in this class” Alya replied, thankful that another student intervened. 

“I know she was in this class! I know it! She sat behind me! Remember?!” Kiyomi snapped. Alya slammed her fist down on the table. Now the everyone in the room was watching them. “Kiyomi, Nanami-san has been sitting there since the last seat rotation. There is no Kagayaki Hikari!”.

“Fumitaka-san, can you get the class roster off Ms Haruka’s desk?” The blonde male student asked. A tall dark haired boy nodded and walked over to the teacher’s desk, retrieving the class roster. He handed it to Kiyomi, who anxiously snatched it from him and opened it.  _ Riko Horiuchi, Nanami Iseri, Kimidori Kajiwara, Fumitaka Karlovic…..wait, Hikari’s supposed to be between Kimidori and Fumitaka?  Where is she? Why isn’t she here?  _ Kiyomi’s eyes widened in fear and she began to feel her body temperature rise. She suddenly dropped the roster and ran over to interrogate the first student she could find. “You knew Hikari, don’t you?” Kiyomi demanded.

“Sorry, I’ve never heard of her” The girl replied, clutching her chest. Kiyomi gritted her teeth, and ran over to a male student who was by the door with his friends. “Hikari was the one who did all that crazy stuff, remember?”.

“What are you talking about? There is no Kagayaki Hikari in this class”.

Kiyomi stepped back and surveyed the class. She could see everyone staring at her, and talking about her. The world started to spin, and she began sweating profusely. Without thinking, she bolted from the classroom. She could hear Alya calling out after her but she didn’t care. None of them knew Hikari anymore, as if she simply disappeared, wiped off the face of the Earth. Kiyomi kept running until she had run out of breath. Leaning against the metal gate, she began to become aware of her surroundings. Red lights started blinking, and a set of bars descended down onto the road. A train sped past at a high speed. Somehow she had managed to leave the school and ended up at a railroad crossing. 

Kiyomi sighed, still shaking from the shock.“What do they mean they don’t remember Hikari? Who could forget Kagayaki Hikari…..maybe I should call her and see where she is”. Reaching for her school pocket, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her list of contacts _. I don’t have her number anymore….I guess there’s one more option. I’m going to her house! _

It didn’t take long to get to Hikari’s house since it was not very far from the school. Kiyomi knocked on the door and patiently waited for it to be answered. An auburn haired woman opened the door, looking very displeased. “Good afternoon, Ms Kagayaki. I was wondering if Hikari was here?”.

Claris Kagayaki squinted at the girl. “Hikari? Who are you talking about?”.

_ Not her too! _ “Uh…remember? Kagayaki Hikari, you’re daughter? Where is she?” Kiyomi asked.

“I’m sorry, I’ve never had a daughter, or any children. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going back to sleep” Claris said before abruptly shutting the door. 

“I’m sorry for wasting your time…” Kiyomi said, although the woman could no longer hear her. She turned and dashed out of the front yard.  _ Where is she? Where could she be? Why has she disappeared? _

_ The next day, I was forced to go to school, even though all I wanted to do was search for Hikari. Alya and Takara were worried, and tried to talk to me. I don’t even remember what I said back to them. _

After school, Kiyomi had left to search Tokyo for her best friend, though she wielded no results. It seemed that Hikari had never existed in this world. Who could have done this? God? Zeus? Voldemort? Whoever it was, Kiyomi did not know. She found herself in an alleyway next to a shoe shop, crying her heart out. “Dammit Hikari….where are you?”. 

Suddenly, she felt a hand rest lightly on her shoulder. She looked up, hoping it would be Hikari but instead it was an ethereal woman. “Who are you?”.

“I am Guardian Cosmos, the protector of the place where stars are born, the Galaxy Cauldron. And I’m here to fulfil your great destiny”.

“What great destiny? What are you trying to say?” Kiyomi sobbed. She didn’t care about a bigger destiny – she just wanted her friend back.

“If you’ll let me, I can take you to the Mooniverse. Your potential as a Sailor Soldier will be realised and you will be granted extraordinary powers. You’ll be able to see your friend again”.

Kiyomi gasped.“Hikari? Is she in this universe?”

“Yes. Now, take my hand, and i will bring you to the world of the Sailor Soldiers.” Cosmos said, extending her hand out to Kiyomi, who hesitated to take it. She must weigh her options carefully: if she went with this lady, it might mean never seeing her family again. But if she didn’t go with her, she’d be missing out on fulfilling her destiny and seeing her best friend.  _ I love my parents and my siblings, but this is something I have to do. I have to become a Sailor Soldier! _ Kiyomi took Cosmos’ hand and felt herself being pulled from the world she knew. The world began to distort and fade, being replaced by glossy black walls. She appeared to be in a bedroom, albeit a really fancy one. Upon closer inspection, she saw sets of figurines decked out along the bookshelves along with other trinkets. Guardian Cosmos was nowhere to be seen.

Kiyomi felt something in the palm of her hands. She opened up her hand and saw a spring green pen lying there. The pen had a large orb on the top with a rabbit engraved in it, and white angel wings branching off of it.  _ I have teleported you to the great castle of Nemesis. To activate the transformation, shout “Galaxy Prism Power, Make-Up!”. Help Hikari set the world straight, and never doubt yourself _ .

She was startled. Was that Cosmos’ voice in her head? She didn’t know where she was going to find Hikari but judging from the objects around her, the room looked like it was her bedroom. She figured she would just wait for Hikari to show up.

A couple of minutes later, Hikari ran down the hallway. She was on her way back to her room to grab her red beret. She opened the doors and gasped. Her best friend was right there in front of her!

“K-Kiyomi……”. Hikari burst into tears and ran up to hug her.” Hikari!” Kiyomi cried. Both girls embraced each other tightly, not wanting to let go of each other. “I’m so sorry I left you behind……I had the opportunity to help the people I admire, and I couldn’t resist!” she said.

Kiyomi let go of Hikari and stood back.” It’s alright, I’m here now! Plus……”she held up her transformation pen .”I was granted with Sailor Soldier powers!”.

Hikari wiped the tears away from her eyes. “Cosmos also brought you here as well then”. She gripped her friends hands and pulled them closer to her. “Let’s do our very best together!”. Kiyomi closed her eyes and smiled. She was happy to be with her best friend again, and to be fighting with her. She didn’t know what exactly she was fighting for but she was sure Hikari would explain later.

“Hey, Hikari, I need to talk to –” Berthier said, walking into the room before freezing in her tracks. “Who the fuck is she?”.

She turned to face Berthier, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. “Uhh…..random person…..best friend….here now….cannot…compute” she stammered.

“Ok ok, don’t short circuit. Just tell me one thing: is she another Soldier?” Berthier asked.

Hikari nodded. “That’s good then. The more power to us, more chance we’ll win”.

“Kiyomi, Berthier. Berthier, Kiyomi. You can stay in one of the other spare rooms. I don’t know how I’ll explain your appearance to Demande-senpai or the others though” She said, biting her nails. She wasn’t sure why they had even let her stick around, but she doubted they were going to let another stranger live there.

“Then don’t. I’ll get an apartment on Earth and you can call me whenever you need me” Kiyomi said.

On Earth at the Tsukino residence, tensions were rising between Usagi and Chibiusa. Since it was common knowledge that there were people after Chibiusa, Usagi had wanted to keep her close or under her parents watchful eyes. However, when she couldn’t find her that afternoon, Usagi freaked out. She was home safe now, but Usagi was still angry.

“Chibiusa!” She yelled at the small child, who was sitting in the living room eating a strawberry sponge cake Ikuko had made. Chibiusa gazed up at Usagi witheringly. “Yeah what?”.

“Where were you? I was looking all over the place for you! You can’t just run off and expect everyone to be cool with it!”.

“I was at Mamo-chan’s house!”.

“And who said you could call him Mamo-chan!”

“I did!”

“You have no authority here!”

“I have more authority than you!”

“Usagi, Chibiusa, stop your bickering! Listening to you two gives me a headache” Ikuko called from the kitchen. Both girls glared at each other. Usagi signed the “I’m watching you” sign before leaving the room in a huff. She returned to her room upstairs where she collapsed on the bed.

“Man, that kid’s a pain!”.

Her faithful feline guardian Luna jumped up on the bed and curled up next to her. “Usagi-chan, I know she can be quite a handful, but it is imperative that you protect Chibiusa-chan! The enemy could be lurking around any corner, just waiting to grab her!” Luna said.

“You’re paranoid, Luna. I wonder what the enemy could want with a little girl” Usagi pondered.

“She may possess something valuable that they need to acquire. An artefact of sorts” Luna stretched before lying down again.

“Like the Legendary Silver Crystal?”.

“Precisely!”.

“I could have sworn I saw a similar stone hanging around her neck along with a key” Usagi said.

“Well, you best be on your guard. They could appear at any moment!”.

Usagi closed her eyes. It felt like it had been ages since she had done anything with the girls. T was exhausting fighting evil, and she wished that she was just a normal teen. Standing up, she walked over to her Hello Kitty phone and dialled Minako’s number. “Minako-chan, do you want to do something today? Maybe go to a manga store or clothes shopping?”.

“I would love to! It’s been tiring with school and fighting evil, I just want to take a break from it all!”.

“I’ll meet you in half an hour!” she replied, replacing the receiver. Usagi grabbed her purse and handbag and rushed out the front door.

While Usagi was racing towards Minako’s house, Hikari and Kiyomi had teleported down to the Juuban district to look for apartments. It was a nice sunny day – the perfect day to be out and about. “I want to set you up with a place ‘round here. It’s a nice area, and there’s some really good apartments around here” Hikari smiled cheerfully. It was so nice to have her friend in the Mooniverse with her!

“That’s great and all, but how do you think you’re going to pay for one?”.

“Here’s the thing – I don’t have nearly enough money to pay for anything other than a packet of chips at the moment so you’ll have to pick one and camp in it”.

“But that’s illegal, Hikari-chan! What if someone finds me out and reports it to the authorities?” Kiyomi said anxiously. She didn’t want a criminal record, or any record.

Hikari continued to skip down the road, not bothering to address the serious nature of the issue. “This is just temporary until I can secure some money for you. If anyone questions you, just say you’re the daughter of the occupants. If someone involves the authorities…..well, you have magic now! Just give them amnesia and they’ll leave you alone. See, I’ve got this all figured out!”.

“Ok….let’s say if I did camp out in a vacant apartment. How do I get food?”.

“You’d have to steal it, as were both 13 and unable to get part time jobs.”.

Kiyomi stopped in her tracks. “No! No, no, no, no, no and no! I am not partaking in illegal activities. You’ll have to think of something else”.

“Ok, give me a minute”. Hikari began to think. “You got any money on you?”.

“Only 1¥”.

“Hmm…..not much to work with…..”. Hikari’s mind was ticking. Sure, she could hide Kiyomi in the Black Moon palace but it was only a matter of time before someone discovered her. She would be forced to face her beloved Demande-senpai, only to be sentenced to death. And Kiyomi pretty much said she would not camp illegally. 

The pair walked past a filthy beggar man. Hikari took no notice of him since she was lamenting but Kiyomi did. Walking up towards him, she placed her 1¥ into his hands. “Hey, you need it more than me”.

“Thank you miss” the man said, his eyes filling up with hope.

“Kiyomi-chan, that was your last coin! Now how are we gonna get you a house?”.

“I prefer that he has it. We can figure something out!”.

The beggar stood up and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, miss, but did I hear that correctly? You have nowhere to stay?”.

Kiyomi looked at him and nodded sadly. “Well, I know it may not be much, but I have an underground bunker with some nice furniture. You were so kind to me, giving me your last dollar, so I need to do something in return for you!”.

Her eyes brightened. “This is perfect, it solves the problem entirely! It would be lovely to stay with you sir! What is your name?” she inquired.

“Hayato Hinata” the man replied.

“Hinata-san, I can’t thank you enough! I guess we’ll get going then.” She turned around to face Hikari.” Text me later, okay?”.

“Sure! See ya Kiyomi-chan!” she waved as she watched the two walk down the street.  _ Well wasn’t that lucky. Kiyomi-chan’s kindness paid off! _ Hikari, deciding that her work was done, decided to teleport back to Nemesis. After all, she needed the brief Berthier on the new plan.

Hikari walked around the palace in search of Berthier but didn’t have to search long due to the constant screaming that was coming from the East Wing. She found Berthier with Petz , fighting over a dress.

“It’s my dress!” Berthier yelled.

“Well it looks better on me” Petz replied.

“Excuse me for a moment, but Berthier, I need to discuss with you the plan of attack.  You can squabble over the dress all you want later” Hikari interrupted.

Berthier regained her composure and glared at her older sister.” This isn’t over, whore. Mark my words”. Flipping her braid, she strutted off with Hikari. “So, what did you come up with? Koan told me that you were busy working on a new plan”.

Hikari cleared her throat and began to explain. “I believe I’ve found a suitable alternative. Have you ever noticed the large five statues of crystal that surround the Crystal Palace?”.

“Oh yeah, those things. Aren’t they just part of the palaces decoration?”

“You see, each one of those points contains an energy connected to a guardian of the royal family. It is used as a security measure to keep intruders out, and are the reason why we’ve had trouble advancing to the palace. In order to access the Crystal Palace, we have to disable the Crystal Points, and the easiest way to do it is to kill each of the corresponding soldier. However, I want as little of their blood shed as possible, so there is another way – basically, we use implants of the Malefic Black Crystal to create a henge that channels the dark energy into the point, weakening them and allowing us to enter”.

“But we can’t even walk within five feet of the palace without being shot. How are we supposed to implant the dark henges?”.

“That’s where it gets clever. We find the spots where the points will be in the past, and put them there. By seizing them in the past, it will have a direct impact on the future, and ensure victory”.

Berthier stared at Hikari, surprised at the girl’s intellect. “That…..is actually kind of brilliant…..don’t get the wrong idea, I still don’t think you’re worth much but you can come up with a good plan”.

Hikari laughed and poked her on the cheek. “Aww you know you love me”.

“Shut up”.

Hikari smiled, and turned to leave. “And how we’re going to find the Rabbit, well, I know where she lives, we can just send a Droid to pick her up”.

“Hold up – how the hell do you know where she is staying?”.

“That’s a secret” Hikari said, laughing. She before running off, she called out “We’ll start phrase 1 later. Right now there’s something I need to do”.

Berthier stared at her in surprise as the girl left.  _ What does she mean she has something to do? Surely it isn’t more important than the plan? _

Hikari raced through the halls of the darkened palace, in search of Prince Demande. She wanted to see him, but she couldn’t think up of any topic to talk about that would relate to the mission, so she decided she was going to put her stalking skills to the test and just watch him. She found him conversing with the ominous Wiseman in an odd side room that was adjacent to the main hall. Hiding behind a pillar, she began to watch over both of them.

“We need the stone that brings about calamity! We must obtain the Legendary Silver Crystal!” Wiseman said menacingly, the impatience evident in his voice.

Demande sighed in frustration. “We’ve been attempting to capture the Rabbit, who we suspect has the stone but it has been…..difficult”.

“Oh really? How so?” Wiseman asked as if capturing a magical little girl with ever present bodyguards was the easiest thing in the world.

“Well, in the last attack, she wasn’t around in the area and in previous attacks the Sailor Soldiers have been able to evade the Ayakashi Sisters”.

“Do what you have to, Prince, but we must obtain the Silver Crystal and the Rabbit soon! If we are ever going to take Crystal Tokyo, we have to devise a new strategy”.

Demande briefly looked over to the place where Hikari was standing, which made her anxious. She gripped her dress in fear, praying that she hadn’t been spotted. After what felt like a millennia, the prince shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his advisor. “I know. One of the others is working on a plan”.

Hikari sighed quietly with a dazed look on her face. It was still hard to believe that the man she had wanted for so long was right there, and was actually real.  _ He’s so handsome…… _

Unfortunately, since she was so entranced by him, Hikari ended up slipping a bit. She gripped the pillar before she fell to the ground but accidently squeaked in surprise. Wiseman turned to face her hiding place. “I sense somebody is watching us”.

Hikari found it pointless to keep hiding, so she made herself known. “Who’s there –“ Demande yelled, before noticing her standing in front of him.”Hikari-san?” he said, confused, his frosty expression softening a bit.

She blinked twice, before staring down at her feet, trying to hide her red face.“Um…..hi Demande-sama…..”. Hikari didn’t know what to say. She’s been caught being a creepy stalker, and it didn’t reflect very well on her. Luckily, she didn’t have to say anything since Wiseman decided to speak up. 

“Who is this girl, Prince Demande?”.

He was also conflicted. Either he could explain who Hikari was or just say she was a Droid created to serve them. However, Wiseman wasn’t stupid, and could fully tell the difference between a fully capable human and a mindless Droid. 

“Her? She’s Hikari, a Sailor Soldier who has decided to join the ranks. She holds an enormous amount of power, so she will be useful in the revolution” Demande said, casually. 

“A Sailor Soldier? How curious” Wiseman said tauntingly. He inspected Hikari as if she was a piece of un-chopped meat . She started to shake nervously.

“I thought all of the humans were killed in the attack. How did this one survive?”.

Demande didn’t really know how to answer this question, as he actually didn’t know where Hikari had come from. He assumed she was a denizen of Crystal Tokyo, but now that Wiseman had mentioned it, all the civilians had been killed.  _ She couldn’t have come from the past could she? How did she figure out how to circumvent the guardian Sailor Pluto? _

“Well , I can see your busy, so I’ll just leave…..okay?” Hikari said.  _ I can’t have Wiseman find out where I’m really from, it could hinder my mission! _ She exited in the room in a hurry and ran to the nearest room to catch her breath.  _ I wasn’t meant to let him notice me, but I just had to get all clumsy _ .

“Prince Demande?” Wiseman said in his low ominous voice. “I will suggest keeping an eye on her though. From what I’ve seen so far, Sailor Soldiers are forces for good, so she may be just playing you”.

Usagi had met up with Minako, and both of them were in the manga store. The shop was quiet until it erupted with a loud squeal. “Usagi, look! They have the new volume of  _ Sugar Rush _ !” Minako cried with joy. She ran right up to Usagi and started jumping up and down in excitement.

“I’ve been waiting forever for this to be released. I can’t wait to see what predicaments Vanellope and her crew have gotten into this time” Usagi smiled, taking the book from Minako.” Have you had any luck finding the new volume of  _ Love Love Super Shock _ ?”.

Minako stopped her fangirling and looked down at the floor in sadness. “No. It’s been sold out at every store in the city. I need to find out whether Mika has confessed her love to Krei before the next issue comes out”. She reached for her bag and produced two hardcover books, both featuring a bloody high school girl on the front.” On the bright side though, I did find the next two issues of  _ To Love A Yandere _ ”.

They both started to fangirl when the store attendant shushed them. “Girls! You are disturbing the peace in my shop, please stop it and behave like an adult! Now, are you going to pay for those or not?”.

Usagi was annoyed that their fangirling was interrupted but upon seeing the faces of the other customers, she hid her face and walked up to the counter and placed the collection of books in front of the cashier. “That will be ¥450” the lady said frostily. Minako handed her the money for her books and Usagi paid for hers. The lady ran their cash through the till and handed them their change.

Minako looked down at the lady’s name tag. “Hanako….Ishimura?”.

“Please do not refer to me by my given name. You are a customer, not a friend. Here is your change” the lady snapped before shooing them away.

“Wow, she was rude” Usagi whispered as they left the store. 

“Who cares about her. Let’s go to the Crown Fruit Parlour, I’ll order us both drinks” Minako said.

The girls arrived at the parlour and chose a seat by the window. A waitress came up to them to take their orders and they both ordered milkshakes, a strawberry one for Usagi and a chocolate one for Minako.

Usagi took a sip of the milkshake and slumped down in her chair. “It’s nice to act like normal teenagers for a while. It’s been tiring being a Sailor Soldier lately, especially since these guys are hex bent on abducting Chibiusa”.

Minako nodded her head in agreement. “I wish we could have regular problems, like whether or not this dress is the right colour for me. Instead we have to worry about freaks murdering us” she said, swirling the straw around the milk in the glass. Fighting evil was a pain in the ass, especially when you were expected to go to school and still get homework done. It would be helpful if they didn’t have to hide their identity from their parents and classmates. 

“It’s been a few days since the last attack though? That’s gotta mean something. Maybe the enemy just decided to give up and have a ginger ale party” Usagi pondered. 

Minako’s fist slammed down on the table. “That doesn’t mean we should let our guards down! They could be around every corner, spying on us, waiting for the right moment to attack. They could be disguised as that old lady over there!” she proclaimed, pointing at the grey haired lady sitting a few seats away from them with her grandson. 

“Minako-chan, you’re beginning to sound like Luna”. She looked up at the clock that was hanging on the wall right next to the door. The time read 12:49 . She stood up and gathered her books. “Sorry Mina-P, I gotta go pick up Chibiusa from her friends house. Ever since Mum decided to enrol her in school, she’s been pretty popular. It’s nice to see her having fun, and it’s also nice to have her out of the house”.

“See you later Usagi-chan!” Minako called after her.

Back on Nemesis, Hikari was sitting on her bed, regretting letting Wiseman know of her presence. She hadn’t wanted the cloaked advisor to know about her existence but it was going to eventually happen. The important thing now was to keep tabs on him to make sure he didn’t try anything dodgy. 

“Hikari-san? Should we start on executing the plan?”.

She looked up and saw Berthier in front of her. “Oh, yeah. The Venus Crystal point will be located at this park in the future, so we need to go back and plant the henge there. Kiyomi-chan will be there to assist you if any trouble arises. Meanwhile, I’ll send a Droid to get the Rabbit. If there is any interference from the Sailor Soldiers, I’ll be able to stop them from rescuing her” she said flatly. 

“Sounds good. Should we get going?”.

“In a moment. I need to text Kiyomi to tell her what to do.” She said, taking down her phone and opening up her messenger.

**H:** **Hey Kiyomi-chan. Everything alright?**

**K: Everything’s fine. Hinata-san’s place may not be a mansion but it’s warm and not damp.**

**H: Good! Very good! We have a battle coming up, so I’ll need you over at Ueno Park. Bring your transformation pen, and Berthier will meet you there.**

**K: Ok, where will you be?**

**H: Doing back up somewhere else.**

**K: You still haven’t told me what we’re fighting for?**

**H: I’ll explain it later. Can you be at Ueno soon?**

**K: Yes**

**H: Great. Thank you so much Kiyomi-san!**

Kiyomi returned her phone to her pocket and gripped her transformation pen. “Hinata-san, I’m going to see a friend. Don’t wait up for me”.  She opened the door that led out to the tunnel and ran through it. She reached the secret exit in no time, and quickly made her way over to Ueno Park 

Surveying the park, she picked out a lady who just didn’t belong. This lady had icy white hair with blue streaked edges, tied into a French braid and covered by a large pastel blue hat. She wore a blue swimsuit under her white jacket. She was standing by a tree.

As Kiyomi approached the woman, she looked up and studied her carefully. “Are you Kiyomi, the friend of Hikari?”. Once Kiyomi had  nodded, she reached for a dark crystal henge that had been resting in her jacket pocket. “I’ll plant the henge and you transform. I’ll inject power into it, and you can act as a guard. Alright?”.

Kiyomi nodded and threw her transformation pen up into the air. “Galaxy Prism Power, Make-Up!”. 

Once the dazzling lights had faded, she was now wearing a spring green Sailor suit with a red brooch and red strapped heels. A white bunny was now in the centre of her green hair ribbon, and a golden tiara shone from her head. She had transformed into Sailor Galaxy!

Berthier threw the henge into the ground and activated it. The henge firmly planted itself In the concrete path below, and Immediately started releasing it’s dark energy. The park go-ers were quick to figure out what was happening, and ran out of there screaming. It wasn’t long until the police were called and the news had gotten hold of the story.

“Breaking News! Civilians have had to evacuate Ueno Park after a massive amount of an unknown force began to contaminate the park. Authorities warn not to go near the park until it the situation has been dealt with”.

Rei had been at home when she saw the report. ‘Oh no! This is terrible”. She ran over to her bedside table where her communicator was resting. Opening it, she sent a contact request to the rest of the Senshi. Minako, Ami and Makoto were online in seconds. “Guys did you see the news?”.

“We sure did. It’s got to be the Black Moon! We need to go down there and stop them!” Makoto said.

Rei tried to contact Usagi but her line remained static. “Ugh, for some reason Usagi isn’t showing up on the communicator! She must have left it at home. Minako-chan, you go find her. Me, Ami and Mako will go to Ueno and stop the enemy!”.

The others agreed with her plan, so she disconnected the line and ran outside with her Star Power Stick. After checking nobody else was around, she threw it up in the air and yelled “Mars Star Power, Make-Up!”.

Now that she had become Sailor Mars, she flew into the air and landed on a tree. Mars continued to glide over buildings and other structures on her way to Ueno Park.

Berthier was floating in the air nearby the crystal henge, which had grown in size. “Just a bit more dark energy needs to be injected before the Venus Crystal Point will be ours!” She laughed. 

“Stop right there! What do you think you’re doing, ruining a lovely park! We won’t stand for it” Sailor Jupiter said, gliding down to the ground, with Mercury and Mars not far behind her. 

“And there are the Sailor Soldiers. So nice to see you girls”. Berthier executed a perfect flip in the air while firing her signature attack  _ Dark Water _ . 

“Shine Aqua Illusion!” Sailor Mercury cried, releasing a gushing wave of water and directing it towards Berthier. It managed to hit her and caused her to fall out of the sky into the fountain.  “Oh really now? That’s what your trying to do?”. She rose up out of the waters, and made the water shoot at the Soldiers in beams. Mars was hit but Jupiter and Mercury managed to dodge the attack.  

Sailor Jupiter released a huge bolt of lightning from her tiara, which shocked Berthier. “What are you waiting for Kiyomi? Come help me!”.

In the next few seconds, Sailor Galaxy spectacularly dived through the air and kicked Sailor Mars in the face. Mars fell down to the ground, screaming and holding her punctured cheek. A stream of blood began to spill down from the wound.

“Who are you and why did you hurt Mars?” Sailor Mercury cried.

“I am the Soldier who fights for justice and desserts! I am Sailor Galaxy! And in the name of the……what are you guys called again?” She said, looking at Berthier sheepishly. 

“The Black Moon Clan”.

“Right! In the name of the Black Moon Clan, I’ll defeat you!”. Galaxy spun around and sent a ray of rainbow rabbits towards the Sailor Soldiers. ‘Rainbow Bunny Attack!”.

The rabbits charged towards the Soldiers. Jupiter used her Sparkling Wide Pressure attack to dissolve a few of the bunnies, while Mars shot fire at them and Mercury used her Aqua Mist to disguise herself and sneak up behind them.  _ This would be way easier with Usagi here! _

Many streets away, Usagi was walking down towards her house with Chibiusa. “Did you have fun with Momo-chan?” she asked the tiny child, who was skipping along the streets humming.

“Oh yeah! We played with her dolls and ate some of the chocolate cake that her mum made. It was really great!” Chibiusa smiled happily.

‘Well I’m glad you had fun” Usagi said.  _ Even though the little spore can be annoying, I am glad she’s doing well. It can’t be good having the bad guys chasing her everywhere. She’s just a little girl. _

Meanwhile, in the shadows of one of the tall looming houses, Hikari removed her brooch and quietly transformed into Sailor Stellar. She waved her hand to summon the Droid Saphir had created earlier. “Tetsu, capture the Rabbit and bring her back to Nemesis”. Tetsu obeyed her commands teleported in front of Usagi and Chibiusa. With little resistance, she picked the child up and held onto her.

“Chibiusa-chan!” Usagi cried, trying to free the small girl from the Droids fierce grip. “Usagi-chan, help me!”.

“It’s no use trying to free her. That Droid has a grip like iron. No ordinary human can go up against it”. Usagi turned around and saw Stellar walking towards her, grinning devilishly. “But you, Tsukino Usagi, aren’t so ordinary, are you?”.

“What do you people want with her? She’s just a child!” Usagi cried.

“She is the key to unlocking the future. We don’t want to hurt her, we just want her Silver Crystal”.

“Like hell I’m going to let you take her Stellar. Moon Crystal Power, Make-up!”. Usagi transformed into her alter ego, Sailor Moon. Chibiusa stared at her with wide eyes. “Usagi-chan, it can’t be…..”.

“Do you mean to protect her, not matter what the cost?” Sailor Stellar asked her. Sailor Moon glared at her. “Leave Chibiusa-chan alone, or you’ll have to fight me. It’s your decision”.

Both Soldiers stared at each other intensely, waiting for the opponent to make her move. Stellar was the first one to break the trance, leaping into the air towards Sailor Moon, who also launched into battle. Stellar smirked, and fired her Eclipse Ray. Sailor Moon jumped out of the way and reached her tiara. “Moon Tiara Boomerang!”. 

Stellar dodges the tiara, and it ends up crashing against the pavement, causing a pothole to form. She continued to fire attacks at her opponent, while Sailor Moon summoned her Cutie Moon Rod and sent out a large beam of pink energy. She flipped into the air and fired a more powerful version of her Eclipse Ray at Sailor Moon.

Both soldiers were now fighting suspended in the air. “It seems that you can read me pretty well” Sailor Moon said, firing her Moon Princess Halation ” but do you really think you’ll be able to beat me?”.

“I can take more than you!” Sailor Stellar shot back, releasing an array of bright stars from her hand.  Sailor Moon was hit by a few of them and fell towards the ground. She summoned her Crystal Sword and flew down towards her, ready to strike but Sailor Moon quickly used her rod to block the sword. Standing up, she fired her Moon Princess Halation at  Stellar, hoping to hit her. Stellar used her sword to divert the attack and fired her Eclipse Ray. 

Sailor Moon gritted her teeth and fired another attack, which Stellar diverted again. In a matter of seconds, Stellar had managed to flip backwards and knock the rod out of her hands, and sneakily fire her ray at her. She was so disoriented that she didn’t expect it, and was knocked against a house. Quickly standing up, she noticed her enemy had not given up.

Stellar walked towards the fallen soldier, sword in hand, ready to slash her. She pointed her sword at Moon, who had retrieved her rod and was also pointing it at her. She tried to catch her breath, surprised she could endure that much fighting. 

The road around them had been damaged by the battle they had. Their magic had shot several potholes in the road, and at least two of the houses had been punctured by the endless rays of magical energy. “Well then, it seems we aren’t getting anywhere” she panted, before dropping her Crystal Sword and collapsing to the ground. Surprisingly, Sailor Moon walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to work for these people any longer. I can heal you with my crystal, and help you remember who you truly are” the girl said in a soft voice. If she was stupid, she might have taken the bait, but Stellar was smarter than that. “I don’t need your pity…..” she growled before blasting Moon against the pavement. Grabbing her sword, she ran up towards her victim, ready to finish the job. Suddenly, Stellar felt herself being pulled back by a chain. The chain brings her against a lamppost and binds her to it tightly. 

“You’re magic is fearsome, Sailor Stellar, but it is dangerous to consider your position superior to your opponents” Sailor Venus said, standing on top of the roof of a two story house. She flew down and stood in front of the post Stellar was tied to. “Why do you want with Chibiusa-chan?”.

Sailor Stellar glared at the blonde haired beauty. “That’s none of your concern” she snapped.

“I believe it is my concern since you are trying to hurt my friends”.

“Let me go!”.

Venus shock her head sternly. “Not a chance. You’re not going anywhere until you give us some answers”. She walked over and helped her friend up. “Sailor Moon, are you alright?”.

“I’m fine…..what is that?” Moon asked, pointing up at the sky where a huge amount of darkness had gathered. “It must be at Ueno where the others are. Let’s go!” Venus said, taking Moon by the hand and leading her away.

“What, you’re just gonna leave me here?” Stellar yelled.

“We’ll deal with you later!”.

Once they were gone, Sailor Stellar used her magic to break free of the chain. “I have to go help Kiyomi-chan and Berthier! Tetsu, follow close behind me, but don’t let yourself be seen. And don’t let go of that child”.

At Ueno, the Soldiers were working to defeat Berthier and Sailor Galaxy but they were beginning to waver. They had been battling for a long time without rest and weren’t any closer to stopping the darkness.

“Mercury Aqua Mist!”.

“Sparkling Wide Pressure!”.

“Dark Water!”.

All three attacks combined into a supernova which blasted everyone back. “Hang on guys!’ Sailor Venus called out as she and Sailor Moon ascended into the park. “Sailor Venus, Sailor Moon!”.

Jupiter grinned as she stood up. “It’s good you guys are here, ‘cause we’ve had our hands full”.

“Who’s the black haired girl?” Moon asked.

“Sailor Galaxy, another rival Soldier” Mercury replied.

Galaxy ceased her attack to attempt to reason with the Inner Soldiers. “Why are you fighting against us? Why aren’t you fighting with us?”.

“Don’t you see? You’re aligned with the enemy!” Mars called out.

Sailor Galaxy looked at them in confusion. “E…Enemy?” she asked. She couldn’t be fighting with the enemy, could she?

Sailor Stellar appeared in the middle of them without a single scratch on her. “Hey I thought I left you tied up?” Venus said.

“You said yourself my magic was fearsome, Venus. Did you really think you’re chain was going to hold me for long?”.

With Stellar there, Sailor Moon realized that she had forgotten something super important. “Chibiusa-chan….i left her with that Droid!” She stuttered, gripping her cheeks. 

“Don’t worry, Princess, I’ve got her right here” Stellar said, snapping her fingers. Chibiusa appeared instantly floating in the air, unconscious with dark rings surrounding her.

The Inner Soldiers gasped in horror. “Chibiusa-chan!”.

“Let her go Stellar!” Moon cried out.

“As if! She’s incredibly important to our mission”. Stellar motioned for Galaxy and Berthier to follow her. Without warning, a male voice rang out as a beam of dark grey smoke made its way towards them. “Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!”.

The beam hit Stellar, blasting her into the fountain and releasing her hold on Chibiusa. Sailor Moon saw her opportunity to save her, so she dived in to catch the falling child. Looking up into the sky, a figure wearing a tuxedo and cape stood atop the lamppost. “Tuxedo Mask!”.

“I can’t allow you to terrorize these innocent girls any longer!” he said, diving off the lamppost to stand next to the Sailor Soldiers.

Stellar slowly sat up in the water and scowled. “Ugh, I forgot about you”.

“Sailor Moon, use your sceptre to destroy the henge! That will stop their evil magic from contaminating the place!”.

“Right” Moon nodded. She held her sceptre up and screamed “Moon Princess Halation!”.

“No!” Berthier shrieked as the dark henge was shattered. The dark energy vanished and the park restored. Stellar got up out the fountain and groaned. ‘This is a lost cause. Berthier, Galaxy, let’s go”.

The trio vanished as if they never existed. ”I hate when they do that! We can never get any closure” Venus complained. Moon was gripping her boyfriend’s arm in happiness. “Tuxedo Mask, you came!” she squealed.

“Sorry I wasn’t at the previous two battles, but the important thing is that Chibiusa is safe” Tuxedo Mask said, setting the waking child on the ground. Her eyes fully opened and she looked around.

“Chibiusa-chan, are you alright?” Sailor Moon asked.

“I’m fine, but I know who you really are, Usagi!” Chibiusa proclaimed.

Simultaneously as this was happening, a light brown and red haired girl had appeared on the edge of Tokyo. She was wearing a Juuban school uniform and had hazel eyes. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m really in the past!” the girl exclaimed, looking around. She glanced at her pink suitcase, which was lying next to her. “I’m so happy I’m a Sailor Soldier now”. Glancing up at the sunset sky, she smiled and grasped her transformation pen.  _ I won’t fail you, Pluto-chan. I will save the past! _


	4. Act 4 - Kukki, Sailor Cookie

Late at night, a girl was in an apartment block in Tokyo, unpacking her suitcase filled with her belongings and placing them on shelves or in draws depending on what they were. She had her phone blasting various J-Pop tunes in the background while she worked away.

_ I’m Kukki Kobayashi, a twelve year old (but soon to be thirteen) fangirl who loves everything sweet. I’ve just been transported to the past by my idol Sailor Pluto to stop the future from changing. I hope I’ll be able to find the cause of the problem and return to my own time soon, because being alone sucks. _

Once she had finally placed the last book on her shelf, Kukki walked back and surveyed her work. “And there! Everything is neatly organised and put away. Pluto’s paying my rent so I don’t have to worry about that. This is going to be so exciting! “she squealed in delight. Bouncing over to her shelf, she picked volume 1 of the Undertale manga adaption off and walked over to her bed to start reading it.

Concurrently, on Nemesis, Hikari had managed to bring Kiyomi back with her. They were both secluded in the Star Room, and Hikari was kicking herself for another failure. “I can’t believe we failed again. We almost had the Crystal Point!” She grumbled.

“Well, there’s always another time” Kiyomi reassured. “Hikari-chan, would you mind explaining what this grand plan of yours is? I’ll be able to help you a lot better if I understand what I’m supposed to be doing.”.

“Ok, well, I was brought here to the Mooniverse to “fix” something. What I’m pretty sure that means is altering the universe and making sure no-one in meant to die in the process” Hikari replied.

Kiyomi looked at her friend in confusion. “Why are we battling against the Sailor Soldiers? Aren’t they supposed to be the good guys?”. 

Hikari paused before replying. “Yes…..they are supposed to be, but if I let just them do whatever they wanted, lives would be sacrificed. Instead of helping those in need, they would just prefer to kill them to save time”. She wasn’t sure how Kiyomi would take to her defaming her childhood heroes, and truth be told, she didn’t even want to explain the plan to her at all.  _ But in order to keep Kiyomi-chan as a powerful ally, you have to explain what the cheesecake’s is going on. _

“I don’t really understand what that means. Are you saying that they’re bloodthirsty?”.

“Where did I imply that they were bloodthirsty? I don’t believe they are”.

Kiyomi shook her head in frustration. “I feel you’re just skirting around the actual plan. You can tell me, I won’t judge you” she quipped, crossing her arm’s defensively.

_ That’s where your wrong, _ Hikari thought.  _ You will judge me. _

“Well, you see…..the thing is…….I’m actually working for the villains. Now, hear me out: I know you’ll believe these people are pure evil, you’ve read the series. But I believe that they are being controlled by Wiseman. Haven’t you ever questioned why they believe Crystal Tokyo is a bad place? You got these rebels who are like ‘The Silver Crystal gives people unnatural lifespans’ and all we really get from the heroes is ‘shut up the crystal is great, I’m Sailor Moon so trust me’.  I’ve never really liked how they were killed off, so I want to save them and somehow come up with a solution that leaves no one dead” she admitted, bracing herself for the slew of insults and snide remarks that were to follow the grand reveal.

Kiyomi listened intently to what her best friend had to say, and made no objections. After she was finished, she quietly processed what she had just heard.  _ It sounds solid, but I can’t help feeling Hikari-chan has an ulterior motive, but at the same time it doesn’t seem like she’s lying to me.  _

Taking a deep breath, she tried to search Hikari’s face for any clues regarding her real thoughts, but her pleading expression gave almost nothing away. “Hikari……….are you sure you’re only doing it for the justice aspect? You have no underlying motivations?” Kiyomi questioned. 

It was then Hikari started to become uneasy. “Of course I don’t have any underlying motivations! Why would-“ She said hurriedly, before she heard the sound of footsteps making their way down the corridor. “Get under my bed, quick!” she hissed. Kiyomi complied, diving under the double bed and hiding herself behind the overhanging blanket. 

The door burst open to admit a frustrated Rubeus. “Hikari, so far you’ve failed both of your missions. Do you care to explain yourself?” he fumed, stopping in front of the girl, who had adopted a timid composure. 

Hikari said nothing and stared at the floor, hoping he would either go away or calm down. It had always made her nervous when people raised their voices against her, and it was hard to stop herself from becoming a cowering rabbit.

“I saw you’re last battle with Sailor Moon. Your fighting style is all over the place, and Moon can read you too well. You’re attempt to catch her off guard was clever, but you should have been paying more attention to your surroundings. Had you done that, the Rabbit would be in our custody”.

“I’m sorry”.

Rubeus’ expression changed to adopt a look of bewilderment. “You actually feel remorse for your failings?”.

“Why wouldn’t i?”.

“The Ayakashi Sisters never feel any remorse, they just ignore me and continue to argue over shoes” he responded, shaking his head. “You’re really weird Hikari”.

“Uhh, thanks?” she replied, not knowing what else to say.

“I’m sending Calaveras and Petz to seize the Mercury Crystal Point. You are to stay here until further notice” he ordered, leaving the room.

“Yes Rubeus-san”.

Once the door was closed, he was confronted by the devious Esmeraude who had been standing outside the room the entire time. Rubeus gritted his teeth in annoyance.  _ Great, what does she want. _

“So? What’s she like?” the green haired diva asked, fanning herself with her ever present feather fan. The woman’s ego was through the roof, and Rubeus found it hard to tolerate. If she wasn’t his higher up, then he probably would have fired her long ago. “She seems to be a bit skittish, possibly a bit full of herself. Why do you care?”.

“I just want to make sure she’s not the type that Demande-sama would be interested in” she sneered.

He stared at her for a moment before bursting out into laughter. “Demande falling for her? Please. Everyone knows his crazy obsession with the Neo Queen. I doubt he’d ever love either of you” he chortled, stumbling down the hall. “If you want to see what she’s like why don’t you talk to her yourself?”.

Esmeraude turned her head in anger, and hurried away.  _ I’ll show him….i’ll show all of them! _

Once she could no longer hear the sound of voices, Hikari motioned for Kiyomi to leave her hiding spot. The girl scrambled out from under the bed and sat in a desk chair. “Thank goodness he’s gone! I was worried he was going to find me. Besides there’s so many empty boxes under there” she said, brushing a stray bit of lint from her skirt. 

“Yeah, I still haven’t gotten everything organized in here. I haven’t had time to, that’s why” Hikari admitted. 

“I should really get back down to Earth. Care to come with me to get some ice-cream?” Kiyomi asked her friend.

“I’d love to but I’ve been instructed to stay here until further notice” Hikari replied glumly, attempted to push the tantalizing visions of chocolate ice-cream with sprinkles and cinnamon sugar out of her mind.

Kiyomi leapt up and grabbed her arm. “Oh come on, where’s your sense of adventure! This might be the only time you get to act like a normal teen!”.

“They’ll find out……”

“We’ll be back in no time!” Kiyomi exclaimed, activating her teleportation powers.

“Kiyomi-chan!!”.

Within a matter of seconds, both of them had teleported to a side alley in central Tokyo. Kiyomi dragged her nervous friend out into the street and both of them set off for the dessert parlour. 

“I still think this is a bad idea…..” Hikari muttered.

“Oh lighten up. Here, I’ll even pay”.

Hikari snickered, thinking how funny it was that Kiyomi was the one dragging her out to get ice-cream when it was usually the other way around.  _ I’m in a world where magic exists and a bunch of rebels are living on some evil space rock, so anything is possible.  _ Upon seeing Kiyomi produce 2,000Y out of her pocket, she wondered how she managed to acquire it. “Thought you had no money?”.

“Hayato-san has been doing some volunteer work down at the docks. He gave me some money out of generosity” she explained.

“He’s such a nice man. It’s fortunate we met him” Hikari said before colliding with another girl walking down the street. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I’m so klutzy, and so invested in the latest edition of this manga that I didn’t look where I was going!” the girl said, picking up her book.

“It’s alright! I do that all the time” Hikari said, helping the girl up.” I’m Kagayaki Hikari, and this is my best friend Hakirui Kiyomi”.

“Nice to meet you both! I’m Kobayashi Kukki, and I just arrived in Tokyo today!” Kukki said, shaking both their hands.

“That’s so cool! Are you a traveller?” Hikari smiled.

Kukki giggled.“In a way…..how about I’ll explain it over ice-cream?

“Hey we were just heading down there ourselves – Muja’s Dessert Parlour, right?” Kiyomi responded excitedly. 

“Right! Let’s go there now!”.

The trio raced down the street to the corner where the parlour was located. Upon entering, they chose a set of seats near the window and motioned for the waitress to come over. “How may I help you today?”.

“I would like to order a Decadent Strawberry Surprise, Choc-Choc Marshmallow Burst and Rachel’s Raspberry Ripple” Kukki requested. The waitress took down their orders on her notepad and smiled, collecting their menus and leaving for the counter.

“So, as I was saying, are you a traveller? A foreigner?” Hikari inquired.

“Well….i’m not a foreigner……can you guys keep a secret?” Kukki whispered.

“Me? Definitely. Her? Not so much” Kiyomi teased, pointing at an unamused Hikari, who proceeded to dig her in the arm. “Shut up”.

Kukki giggled, and looked around to make sure nobody was listening in. “Well, I feel I can trust the both of you for some reason…..okay then!”. She cleared her throat and whispered “I was brought from the future by Sailor Pluto to “fix” the time stream. I’m actually a Sailor Soldier!”.

Kiyomi gasps and looks over to Hikari, who nods her head slowly. “What? Did I say something wrong?” she asked.

“The truth is that we…..” she paused before revealing her transformation pen. “Are Sailor Soldiers too”.Hikari quickly flashed her brooch before placing it back in her pocket. “Wow…..no way! You  too are Sailor Soldier! I can’t believe it!” Kukki cheered quietly. 

“We were sent here for more or less the same reason as you” Hikari murmured.

“Are you from the future as well?”.

“Yes and no. We come from the “Real World”, early 2015” Kiyomi whispered. The waitress came back over with their ice-creams, so they had to briefly pause their conversation to thank her.

“What is the “Real World”?” Kukki asked while digging into the strawberry ice-cream

“To put it bluntly, a place without magic” Hikari said bitterly, the memories of her being bullied still fresh in her mind. 

Kukki scoffed in disgust. “What a boring place to be!”

“I know, right?”.

“Yeah…..it was pretty boring I guess” Kiyomi laughed lightly, while spooning her the raspberry’s in her sundae. While the Mooniverse was a lot more colourful and fun, it wasn’t complete. There was still a vital part of it missing for her.

“Well, you guys are here now and I’m sure we’ll do a great job at setting the universe right!” Kukki proclaimed happily while trying to speed through the ice-cream.

Hikari scooped a large portion of the chocolate ice-cream out of the sundae when she heard Kukki’s proposal. “Yes! We’ll team up, and you can come fight with us. Although...” she said, looking at the clock that was hanging across the room “I should probably get going though. I don’t want to be roasted by my senpai”.

“Ooh, a Senpai? The regular kind or the special kind?” Kukki teased.

“It’s not like that! He’s my boss, and I wasn’t even supposed to leave today. I gotta go before he or someone else figures out I’m not there” she blushed slightly before hurrying off.

“Well in that case, you better go! I’ll see you later then” Kukki said. Once Hikari was out of sight, she leaned in close to Kiyomi and whispered “She likes her boss doesn’t she?”.

Kiyomi smiled coyly. “Maybe? I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen her interact with him”.

Hikari had teleported back to Nemesis and was relieved to find there was nobody around. She snuck around the corner and made her way back to the star room when she heard a voice ring out from behind her. “So, where have you been?”.

She squealed and jumped. She turned to see Saphir staring her down. “Saphir-san, please don’t tell Demande about this ,please please please don’t!” Hikari pleaded. 

He was taken aback by the girl’s desperation and didn’t really know how to react. “Ok, geez, I won’t tell my brother. But that still doesn’t answer my question: where were you?”.

“Muja’s Dessert Parlour. I wanted ice-cream”.

Saphir continued to stare the girl down before shrugging and turning away. “Wait, you’re not going to reprimand me?” Hikari asked in surprise.

“Why do I care where you go?”.

“Because I am a prisoner?” she reminded him.

“Not really with the way you’ve been treated and how many privileges you have. As long as neither my brother or Rubeus finds out about your little trip, you’re fine” he said, walking off.

“Thank you so much. But why is he treating me differently?” Hikari called after him.

“Who knows? Could be because he recognises your magical capabilities, could be something else”.

Saphir rounded the corner and looked back, hoping she hadn’t followed him. To his relief, there was nobody behind him. He continued to walk down the hallway before he reached a large set of doors. Pushing them open, he walked into the grand throne room where his brother was waiting for him.

“Demande, you wanted to see me?”.

“Yes, I did. I need to talk to you about the new Soldier” he answered.

“What about Hikari?”.

“We still don’t know who she is or what her motivation is. She claims to despise Crystal Tokyo but in her battles with the Soldiers she doesn’t seem to be fighting to kill. The only one she’s being aggressive with is Sailor Moon. Wiseman advised me to keep an eye on her, as he suspects she may be deceiving us”.

“She told Koan where she was. A place called ‘The Real World’. Apparently in that world were just works of fiction”.

“Interesting……”. While it was a nice idea to play around with, he had no way of confirming if this was really the case, unless he could contact the entity that brought Hikari to their universe.

Saphir shook his head in irritation. “Look, if you’re that concerned about her being a spy, why don’t you just kill her?” He suggested.

“No, I won’t do that” Demande countered, dismissing his idea.

“I see. Why is that? Why did you let her stay in the first place?”.

Demande was about the answer when he realized that he didn’t know that answer himself. While Hikari was very valuable to their cause, and having her power on their side improved their chances of success She seemed to have something about her where when you were around her, you just wanted to stay talking with her. In fact, he regretted not taking any time to discuss her new mission plan. 

Saphir continued to study his brother’s face when it suddenly clicked. “You like her don’t you?” he sighed. 

“Nonsense! You know I love Serenity, Saphir” .Hikari was pretty, but she was still very much a child. He wanted a sophisticated woman who isn’t afraid to defy him, which is why he was so taken with Neo-Queen Serenity. 

“Then why did you let her stay?”.

“A Soldiers power is great, and she shows great potential, so it is valuable to have her power on our side”.

“But you didn’t know that when you first met her”.

“I love Serenity, and I only happen to find Hikari slightly attractive. That’s final” Demande snapped. 

“Suit yourself. Rubeus sent Calaveras and Petz on the mission, so she’s somewhere in the palace” he said, smiling slyly. ”She might be a little lonely”.

Demande rolled his eyes.  _ For a 17 year old, he sure does act like a child sometimes. It is imperative that I focus on how to conquer the Earth and make the Neo-Queen mine. _

At Hikawa Shrine, the Soldiers were gathered in Rei’s room. Usagi was casually flipping through her manga volumes while everyone else was gathered around the table, except for Chibiusa, who was sitting by the door staring out into the rain with her Luna ball. An awkward silence hung over the room, and nobody was sure if they wanted to break it or not.

Usagi was the first to speak up. “We didn’t want you to find out Chibiusa-chan” she whispered.

“You guys should have just told me from the start” she retorted, refusing to look away from the pouring rain. 

“We thought if we did that, we’d put our civilian identities in danger” Ami said softly.

“I don’t tell secrets”.

“We didn’t know that” Minako muttered.

“Well, now I know it all: Lazy, unreliable Usagi is the courageous Sailor Moon” Chibiusa jeered. She was already angry that they didn’t tell her, but to find out that Usagi of all people was someone that powerful made it worse.  _ How could someone like that become the symbol of peace and hope? _

Usagi walked over and crouched beside Chibiusa. “Now that you know who we are, why don’t you tell us who you are” she prodded, hoping to get an explanation. All she got was a dark glare directed at her. So she continued to investigate, shouting out questions as if she was conducting an examination. “Where are you from? Why are you here? Why do you want the Silver Crystal? Why do you have a ball that looks like Luna?”. 

Chibiusa ran off to sit under a large tree out in the courtyard, with Luna-P following her. “Chibiusa-chan! Wait!” Rei called. Usagi collapsed on the floor. “Ugh that kid is a steel trap! She won’t tell us anything!”

“Give her some time – she might still be scared.” Makoto reminded her.

Usagi threw up her hands in frustration. “I’m tired of treating her like a glass ornament! If we want answers, we need to get them out of her!” Dropping her study books, Ami placed a hand on her shoulder. “Usagi, you’re not sounding like your normal self……”

She rested her head in her hands. “It’s been so stressful, guarding the kid and fighting the enemy…..they seem to be getting more and more powerful everyday!” she wailed.

“We’ll find a way to defeat them, don’t worry Usagi-chan”.

Rei abruptly stood and proclaimed “Well I’m tired of waiting! I want to go find their base right now and kill all of them!”

“Rei-chan! We can’t do that, we still don’t even know where they are located!” Makoto lectured.

“I know….but I just want to get this over with……quick and painless….”

“I want this to be over too Rei-chan….believe me….i want all of the time spent fighting to be used gardening or cake decorating. But it is our duty to protect Sailor Moon, and now Chibiusa. We’ll eventually emerge victoriously over them, you’ll see.”

“Alright…..what’s that?” Rei asked, pointing to an area where a group of unusually dark clouds had gathered and were shooting black rays of lightening. Minako reached for her Star Power Stick. “Oh not again! Can’t we just have a day where evil psychopaths don’t try to kill us! Venus Star Power!”.

The rest of the soldiers reached for their respective devices and transformed. Sailor Moon ran over to Chibiusa and placed her hand on her shoulder. “Chibiusa-chan, go to Mamo-chan’s place, do not stop running until you get there. If they try to go after you, Tuxedo Mask will protect you. Got that?” she urged. Chibiusa nodded and began to run through the rain. 

The Sailor Soldiers made their way through the streets to the spot where the assault was taking place. Mercury had used her computer to locate where the henge was planted at and they followed the route suggested. They arrived at Keio Department Store, where Calaveras was making a sport out of destroying random objects.

“Calaveras! We’re supposed to be injecting our powers into the core of the dark henge, not destroying things!” Petz scolded her younger sister.

“Alright bossy, what should I do instead?” she debated.

“Either help me with the henge or go find that godforsaken Rabbit”.

“Stop right there villains!” Sailor Venus proclaimed. Petz stared down at them and rolled her eyes. “Don’t you girls ever take a break?”.

“Well we were taking a break when you decided to attack the city. In the name of love and justice, we’ll punish you!” Venus spat, before launching into action. 

“Wait! Jupiter and I will keep them busy, Venus, Moon, Mercury, you destroy the henge!” Sailor Mars instructed. The other girls nodded and ran towards to henge, which was implanted in the clothing department. Calaveras intercepts them and uses her whip to attack. “Venus Crescent Beam!” Venus yelled, using her compact from her Sailor V days to attack. Jupiter decided to take Petz on, so she summoned her thunder to attack. Petz smirked and managed to seize the thunder and use it against her. 

Meanwhile, Hikari was on Nemesis, trying to distract herself by playing on her laptop but couldn’t shake off the feeling that Petz and Calaveras needed help. That wasn’t the only thing she was thinking about. She was still scolding herself over acting like an idiot in front of Prince Demande the day before.

_ I wish I could talk to him without looking like an idiot. It’s a cliché that I’ve always hated, but now I find myself falling into it. I need something that will get his attention, and make him realize how great I can be once I stop acting so cocky. I wonder how Petz and Calaveras are doing…..i hope their alright _

_ Maybe I should go check……. _

She hurriedly left the room and entered the throne room. Nobody was there, leaving Hikari free to use the hologram projector. “Show me Calaveras and Petz” she commanded. Within seconds she was able to see the battle take place. “Their fighting two against five! They really do need help. I must contact Kiyomi”.

Back on the battlefield, Sailor Mars used her Akuryo Taisan to temporarily disarm Calaveras while Petz was fending off a weak Flower Hurricane. “If your attacks are this weak, then why do you bother fighting us?”

“Because if we don’t then you’ll be free to take over the city!” Jupiter said.

“And that’s wrong because?”

“Because you can’t just take something that isn’t yours! Burning Mandala!” Mars yelled.

Calaveras was attempting to fight back Venus and the others trying to destroy the henge. “Really, dear sister, when have we ever cared about sticking by the rules?”

Sailor Venus summons her microphone to perform an old attack of hers. “Venus Ten Billion Rockin’ Rouge!”. She manages to knock Calaveras back, leaving Sailor Moon with a clear path to destroy the henge.

Moon position the Cutie Moon Rod and was prepared to perform her attack. “Moon Princess Halation!”

“Oh come on!” Calaveras yelled, angry that this failure would be on her. But to her surprise, Petz had abandoned her battle with Mars and Jupiter to shield the henge. “Ugh, you’re even more incompetent than I originally thought sister”.

“Hey, at least I’m trying! Your barely managing to hold them off” she bickered.

“Well excuse me if I’m fighting two people at once”.

The Sailor Soldiers stood awkwardly off to the side, unsure of what to do. Sailor Stellar and Sailor Galaxy arrived on the scene just moments later. “We’re here –“ Galaxy announced before noticing the arguing sisters.

“Looks like you guys need some help” Stellar commented. Petz turned towards her angrily and sneered. “We’re doing just fine! We don’t need the help of the likes of you”.

“Really? So this is what “doing just fine” looks like – two angry hyena’s yelling at each other?” Stellar said smugly. 

“Don’t talk that way to your superior’s!” Calaveras barks.

“For once I agree with C – why don’t you go back to the real world or where ever you’re from?” Petz taunts.

Stellar shakes her head, annoyed. “Okay, let’s just get this over with before I get angry enough to slap one of them. Double Eclipse Ray!”. To her surprise the attack barely fazes the Soldiers. “Why isn’t it as powerful as last time?” she whispered to herself. Raising her voice, she commands Galaxy to attack. “Calaveras, protect the henge at all costs!”

“Who do you think you are, ordering me around?”

“Just do it! This isn’t the time to argue.”

Calaveras unwillingly complies and takes her position in front of the henge. “Rainbow Bunny Attack!” Galaxy cries, unleashing her army of rabbits to pound the Soldiers into rice cakes. “Mercury Aqua Mist!”. The rabbits become confused in the fog which allows Venus and Jupiter to pick them off one by one.

Stellar spots Sailor Moon about to attack her and summons her Crystal Sword. “Guess I’ll have to do this the old fashioned way”. Moon fires a pink ray of magic at her and Stellar uses her sword to shield her. Attacks were continuously fire but Stellar did nothing except use her sword as a convenient shield. Sailor Moon dives forward and tries to use her wand to hit Stellar but ends up being combated by the sword. 

Moon uses this to her advantage and pushes Stellar back into the ground, her sword being thrown a few metres away. Raising her sceptre high, she shouts “Moon Princess Halation”. Stellar attempts to activate her magic shield but to no avail. The attacks hits her full blast and ends up digging her into the marbled entrance to the store.

Sailor Galaxy spots her having trouble and rushes over to help. “Sailor Stellar! Are you alright?”. “Kiyomi…..find Kukki….please….” she stumbled weakly. Galaxy nodded and flew off. “What, you’re just going to leave us now?” Petz screamed. She ignored her and continued to run towards Kukki’s apartment, having been given the address by Kukki before she left the ice-cream place. She landed on the balcony of number 13 and opened the door. “Kukki-san!”.

Kukki emerges from her bedroom and gasps. “Kiyomi-chan! Is that you?”.

“Yes! We need your help badly. Stellar’s magic isn’t working and she’s getting beaten. We have to do something!”.

“Alright then!” Kukki dashed back into her room to search for her pen. It wasn’t in the place she had left it, so she turned her room upside down trying to find it. “Oh, where did I put the stupid thing! My friend is in trouble, and now of all times I lose it!”. She saw a faint pink glow in the corner of her room and found it under a pile of clothes. “Finally! Cookie Prism Power, Make-Up!”.

She transformed into her sailor suit, which was hot pink with light pink bows and pink boots. Running out of her bedroom, she met with Galaxy and set off for the Keio district. When they arrived it wasn’t a pretty picture: Stellar still hadn’t got her act together, Petz was pretty much beaten and Calaveras wasn’t doing much better. To make matters worse, a small crowd of spectators had gathered to witness the battle, including a handful of news reporters.

“SERIOUSLY? You guys couldn’t even hold them off for five minutes?” Sailor Galaxy growled.

“Hey, I’m trying!” Stellar yelled back. She was attempting to hold off Sailor Mars’ consistent attacks but couldn’t get her shield to work for the life of her. “Wolf Talon!” Sailor Galaxy cried, sending an aqua lined wolf after Sailor Mars. The wolf grabbed her arm in it’s jaws and dragged her through a window. Mars screamed in pain as she felt the creatures teeth dig into her. Sailor Jupiter uses her lightening to disintegrate the wolf and tries to tend to her wounds. 

“Why are the Inner Senshi attacking her?” Sailor Cookie asked.

“They seem to think we’re getting in the way or something” Galaxy lied to Cookie. “We have to fight back!”

“But I don’t want to hurt them! They’re my childhood idols!” Cookie cries.

“Stellar’s probably got 37 broken bones right now! We have to do something!”. Galaxy rushes forward and steps between a weak Stellar and the Sailor Soldiers. “Stop attacking her! You’ve made your point clear”.

“Not until she surrenders! Besides, she’s tried to hurt Sailor Moon so were just returning the deed!” Mars challenged.

“Yeah, keyword: tried. She didn’t actually succeed though. Aren’t you guys meant to be destroying that henge anyway?” Galaxy objected.

“We’ll get to that later! Right now we have to defeat all of you” Mars argued. Suddenly, a large wave of pink energy was released. “EVERYONE STOP! All of you stop!” Cookie screamed.

The Soldiers stared in awe of the new girl and her incredible power. “Who are you?” Venus asked.

“I’m Sailor Cookie, defender of all things sweet and sugary. And I can’t let you guys hurt Hikari-chan anymore!” She announced.

Sailor Mercury looked at her, puzzled by her words. “But why are you fighting for them? Aren’t you supposed to be a force for good?” she quizzed.

“I am a force for good, which is why I won’t let you continue to harm this girl!”

Stellar awkwardly stands up, trying to disguise the cuts and bruises she has. “Guys…..you don’t have to protect me….i can fight. Starlight Diamond” she whispers, raising up her left hand to release a powerful and shiny ray of energy. Sailor Jupiter steps in to counteract it with her Jupiter Thunder Dragon. Both attacks collide and create a force which pulls both girls into the nearest building. Stellar is violently pulled into the fifth floor of the Keio Department Store, resulting in a massive hit to the head. The force disappears and she begins to fall, beginning to black out.

_ Why……won’t…..my magic…work….. _

She didn’t know how long she was out for but when woke up she was in a room she didn’t recognise. “Hikari-chan….are you alright?” a voice asked. Hikari turned her head slightly and saw a blurry outline, with a voice belonging to someone she knew. “Kiyomi? What happened?”

“After you blacked out, Petz and Calaveras were kind of left to their own devices which freaked them out a bit. They ended up getting so distracted by Mars and Jupiter that Sailor Moon managed to destroy the henge. After that we basically had to flee” she explained.

“Ugh, another failure. This won’t be easy to explain to them” Hikari groaned, sitting up slowly. 

“I don’t get it. In yesterday’s battle you were so OP, you basically had the Soldiers on their hands and knees, and today you were getting your ass kicked by them” Kiyomi said.

“I don’t know……I don’t know what happened”.

“Hold up – refresh my memory again: if you guys are setting the universe right, then why are the Sailor Soldiers your enemies? Shouldn’t we be teamed up with them?” Kukki asked, suspiciously.

“Here’s the thing – we both have good intentions, but we do not have common goals” Hikari answered.

Kukki wasn’t satisfied with that answer, as it was too vague and didn’t explain anything. “How so?”.

Hikari waved her hand at Kiyomi, signalling they should leave. She got out of bed and face Kukki. “It’s a complicated ordeal, and it will need more time for it to be explained. How about we meet tomorrow to talk about some things. Is that ok with you? Kiyomi can come pick you up.”

“Sure, that’s fine by me”.

“Very well. Then we’ll be on our way then”. The duo headed to the door but before she left, Hikari turned back. ”Goodbye, Kobayashi-san. I look forward to possibly working with you in the future.”


	5. Act 5 - Crystal Points, Attack

It was two days after the very unfortunate confrontation with Sailor Stellar and Sailor Galaxy that Usagi had decided to call a meeting at her home. After school, the girls had made their way to the Tsukino household where they attempted to sneak off to Usagi’s room undetected and with no awkward questions pertaining to the injury on Rei’s arm.

However, Ikuko Tsukino had noticed and expressed her concern for the girl. Rei quickly mumbled something about an accident on the school stairs before rushing into Usagi’s room with the others.

“I have a lemon tart in the oven. Do you want me to bring it up for you girls?”.

“That would be delightful, thank you” Usagi replied in a solemn voice.

“Well, I’ll be back in a moment. And please cheer up girls. It’s such a nice day!” The woman replied before closing the door. This would be the moment where you would expect the discussion to start but an awkward silence instead hung over the group until Ikuko returned with the promised tart. 

Makoto took it upon herself to cut the tart into equal shares and hand it out. Rei reached for the plate with her left arm but winced as the wound throbbed. It wasn’t infected and was on it’s way to healing but it still hurt to even move it slightly. Minako placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder and shook her head.

The group carried on eating until Makoto finally broke the silence. “I’m going to say what I know everyone is thinking right now….maybe we should have been a bit more aggressive with Stellar from the start” she sighed. 

Rei stared at her coldly. “You think? We let them walk all over us, and now she’s got two other soldiers on her side.”

A yawn sounded out from Usagi’s bed, and the group turned to see Artemis, who had been curled up with Luna, was stretching across the duvet trying to wake himself up. “But she might just be brainwashed into doing these things for the enemy….”

“Honestly, I don’t know what kind of freak that girl is. We’ve tried to persuade her but she won’t listen. I do wonder about that third soldier though – Sailor Cookie right? She doesn’t have the high amount of dark energy surrounding her unlike Stellar and Galaxy. If we focus our attention on her we might be able to break the spell she’s under” Minako interjected.

“Guys, I think you are all forgetting something: we should be concerned about Chibiusa-chan’s safety. The enemy obviously wants her for something and we can’t let them take her” Usagi’s voice rang out through a mouthful of tart.

“Then somebody needs to keep an eye on her – someone who doesn’t have to go to school or have anything important to do”.

Minako looked over at her cat companion briefly, then turned back with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. “What about Artemis? He’d be a perfect candidate”.

Artemis’ ears pricked up at the mention of his name. “Don’t go volunteering me for things Minako!”

“Oh come on Artemis, the girls have school and I have to stay in the command centre figuring out who the enemy is. You are the perfect cat for the job” Luna yawned, awakening from her brief nap.

“But there’s no such thing as a watch-cat!”.

Minako rolled her eyes. “Artemis, can you just do the thing? I’ll give you extra cat treats”.

“Oh, alright” he replied grumpily.

On Nemesis, Hikari was lying down in bed, trying to recuperate after the last battle. After how she was flung into the skyrise building, she was lucky that she only ended up with a few scratches, cuts and bruises. The larger cut on her thigh had stopped bleeding but still stung.

While it had only been two days, there was an even bigger scar that needed to heal: her broken spirit.

When she had managed to get in the castle, Hikari couldn’t walk much. Stumbling through the halls, she tried to make her way to the Star Room undetected but had the misfortune of running into Rubeus. With him standing before her, there was no point trying to escape. Instead, she collapsed to the floor, eyes glazed over.

“I-“

“I know” He said, cutting her off. “Calaveras told me when they got back. You failed again, and quite miserably with all of those cuts and bruises”.

“I couldn’t activate my magic….i don’t know what’s happening to me…..” she muttered, defeated.

Rubeus had rolled his eyes and crouched down to her level, lifting her chin up to face him. His face conveyed irritation, disappointment and a tad bit of pity. “Look at yourself, pathetic little girl. Admit it, you’re just a kid playing at heroics. There are only so many failures I can take, and only so many that the Prince can” he sneered.

“I just wanted to help. It wasn’t my fault, really!” Hikari pleaded.

“Sure it wasn’t. So here’s the deal bitch – I’ll let you keep playing at heroics and let your failures stack up until they become a huge problem. Prince Demande will take notice and he won’t go easy on you. You’d be lucky if you get out alive” he had said before standing back up, smirking. “So how ‘bout it then?”.

She didn’t have much choice but to nod her head in silence. “Very good, little bitch. I can’t wait to see your ashen corpse” Rubeus laughed, before skulking off down the hall.

_ He wants me dead…..it’s obvious enough….at least he’s giving me a chance… _

In the meantime, there was work to be done. Hikari left her bedroom to look for Calaveras but as soon as she opened the door to the throne room, it revealed Esmeraude standing there. 

“Oh, so it’s you, the new runt” She hissed, her face revealing the contempt she had for the girl. 

“Nice to see you to Esmeraude”.

“I wish I could say the same for you darling but there’s a slight problem with that: I don’t like you”.

“Wow, I never knew that. Why are you so salty anyway?” Hikari said sarcastically.

“Oh dear, it’s pretending to be oblivious to what’s going on” Esmeraude taunted, flipping out her pink feather fan, pretending to give Hikari a pitying look.

Hikari rolled her eyes. She dreaded the inevitable confrontation that was to happen and had hoped to avoid Esmeraude for a majority of her stay. But, as with many things, that was not the case. “I’m not pretending to be oblivious, I am actually oblivious. You don’t have to be so un-necessarily cryptic, just tell me what you want and get out of my way”.

“Well then, just so we’re on the same page – Prince Demande is mine, he loves me, not you, not that bitch Serenity, me”.

“Is that so? I never see him paying much attention to you”.

“If you continue to do what you’re doing, things will get ugly” She snapped, gripping the fan tightly.

“What, like your face?” Hikari rebutted.

Esmeraude was practically seething with anger. That was it. That little girl had made enough of a fool of her already. It was time she was taught a lesson. Raising her fan high in the air, she lowered it down and slapped Hikari in the face. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

Instead of responding with a bitter retaliation, Hikari instead started cackling. “God, aren’t you supposed to be an adult? You’re acting like teenage girl. Grow up a bit.”

“Says the girl who likes anime”.

Hikari pushed the older woman out of the way, tired of her catty behaviour. “Your right: I like childish things. Does that make me a literal child? No. You can still be mature and like kid’s stuff. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go talk to Calaveras about the new plan, why don’t you go make yourself useful for once. Despite my failings, at least I’m actually contributing the mission instead of just standing around being a waste of space”.

It was at that moment that Esmeraude decided to throw an attack at her. It only hit Hikari ever so slightly, but it was enough to catch her attention. She turned back with rage in her eyes, ready for a fight.  _ Come now, you don’t have time for this. You can have a bitchfight later _ . Her eyes softened as her face made it’s way back to a neutral expression. “Whatever. If you want to throw a tantrum, be that way” she finished, leaving a furious Esmeraude glaring at her back.

The next day, Mamoru and Artemis were walking with Chibiusa to school. They needed to make sure that absolutely nothing happened to her and that she had a more-or-less normal life as a little girl.

“What have you been doing at school lately Chibiusa-chan?” Mamoru asked the skipping child out of curiosity.

“We’ve been working on a project about the environment. Momo-chan and Kyusuke-kun have been working with me to try and recreate a volcanic eruption” she replied jovially.

“It sounds like a lot of work”.

“It is, but it takes my mind off of them”.

“Who?”.

Chibiusa stopped skipping and looked down at her shoes. “Those scary people who took my Mama”.

“Don’t worry about them Chibiusa. The Sailor Soldiers will take care of them, I promise.”

“If you say so” Chibiusa replied but her solemn grim remained. It was only when Momo’s voice rang out that her face brightened. “Bye Mamo-chan!” she called, rushing towards the school gates.

“See you soon Chibiusa-chan!” He called back before turning to Artemis. “You know what you have to do, right?”.

Artemis nodded in reply before racing after the small child, being careful not to be stepped on by the crowd of children.

Hikari had finally managed to locate Calaveras in a room north-west of the throne room where she had encountered Esmeraude. “Hey Calaveras –“ She said excitedly before noticing who was accompanying her, then suddenly became very tired. “Hello Wiseman”.

“I thought it would be a good idea to tell him about the plan” Calaveras added, sensing the discomfort his presence had caused.

“Right. Sure”.

Wiseman pretended not to notice Hikari’s odd behaviour, instead turning his head in her direction. “So, Kagayaki-san, what is this plan that you have been devising?” he asked in his deathly voice.

Taking a small breath of nervousness, she began. “The problem with my previous scheme is that it takes a long time to fill up a future Crystal Point location with negative energy, so we always get apprehended. However, I have uncovered a new way of disabling barriers. There are various weak spots in Tokyo, spots that we can harness much quicker. With all these spots under our control, we can override the points therefore disabling the shield in the future and allowing us to enter the palace to assassinate the royal family”. 

“Hmmm very good. And what is this first negative point you plan on taking?”.

It wasn’t great having to tolerate the cloaked weirdo, especially since Hikari knew all too well what he really was and what he really wanted. But since he was Demande’s advisor, she was forced to leave him be until she uncovered irrefutable evidence of his true crimes. “An abandoned temple in East Tokyo” She replied. Tapping Calaveras on the shoulder, she pointed towards the door. “Come on, we better go get a henge from Saphir”.

“I’m afraid you have forgotten one very crucial matter: the Rabbit. Having her in our possession will be very valuable. How do you plan to capture her?” Wiseman asserted.

“She may have bodyguards but there is one time of day that they can’t apprehend us at: school time. I’ll send a Droid to go pick her up. You’ll have to excuse us though, we must be getting started on our mission” Hikari scoffed before grabbing Calaveras by the hand and pulling her out of the room.

“So, Kagayaki Hikari, I heard from my annoying younger sister that you aren’t from this universe” she inquired.

“Indeed I am not. What is your point?”.

“Well, I want to know of the mysterious entity who brought you here. Must be a being more powerful than Neo-Queen Serenity”.

“I was given my powers and transported here by the guardian of the Galaxy Cauldron Guardian Cosmos, as was my friend Kiyomi” Hikari answered.

“I’ve never heard of this Galaxy Cauldron. Please elaborate” Calaveras asked, her scepticism now fully known.

“The Galaxy Cauldron is the birthplace of all stars. Everything that is or ever was, it was all created by the cauldron, born as tiny stars that eventually grow into planets and the guardians who protect those planets, the Sailor Soldiers. It’s where Sailor Soldiers are born, and where they go when they die.”

“And how does someone like you know it exists?”.

“I read the manga”.

Calaveras stared at her with a blank expression. “Now you’ve lost me”.

“It doesn’t have to make sense right now. We have other matters to attend to. Saphir’s lab is down here isn’t it?” Hikari said, dismissing the confusion that Calaveras felt. 

“Yes. It’s the place where he creates the Droids.”

Hikari pushes the door open to see Saphir working on a new Droid. He briefly acknowledges their presence by looking up before returning to his project. “What do you guys need?”.

“A new henge” Calaveras responded.

Saphir, without even looking up , pointed over to the edge of the bench where one was laying. Hikari walked forward and grabbed it. “Huh, I wonder why I didn’t see that. Anyway we’re off now” She announced. Before leaving, Saphir finally spoke up. “Kagayaki-san, could you try not to fail this time?” he requested, frustrated.

“Yeah, I’ll try. Hey, when you’re finished with that Droid, send it off to Juuban Municipal Primary. That’s where the kid’s going to be” she instructed.

“Will do” he acknowledged, barely paying attention to her.

The two ladies arrived in the abandoned temple. Hikari tossed the henge to her partner. “Now remember, we gotta do this quickly or else you know who will show up”.

“You don’t get to boss me around, I am your superior!” she scowled.

“Just implant the henge already! And maybe put it inside temple where it’s not as easy to access”.

Calaveras clicked her tongue in disapproval but could honestly not find a reason why she shouldn’t follow Hikari’s orders, so she went into the temple and threw the henge down in a room. 

Once this had been done, Hikari decided she was going to need to text Kiyomi to be on standby incase of an emergency.

 

**TXT: Kiyomi-chan, we’re going to implant the henge and I may need you as backup.**

**TXT: Aren’t we supposed to be briefing Kukki-san on our mission?**

**TXT: Damn it, I forgot all about that. Alright, new plan: you go grab her and then we’ll all meet in front of the Tokyo Park Hotel where we will then go to some random café and talk.**

 

“Hey, change of plans: let’s implant the henge later. Surely it can wait half an hour right? Great, well I’m gonna go take care of some business. Be back soon!” Hikari called, not waiting for Calaveras to answer.

“What am I supposed to do until then?” Calaveras cried out once she had reached the temple yard. However she was already gone. 

Hikari kept running until she reached the Tokyo Park Hotel where Kiyomi and Kukki were waiting for her. “Sorry for the impromptu meeting Kobayashi-san. I forgot about the promise I made yesterday” she said.

“Oh it’s fine. Where shall we go to eat?” Kukki replied, recalling all of the times she decided to phone up her friend Itsumi at ridiculous times to say ‘lets go get some candy’. 

Hikari paused, as she hadn’t given much thought to where they would go to converse.  _ Guess I’ll have to choose somewhere random on this street.  _ “How about……that place!” She declared, pointing across the street at a Very Fancy Restaurant. 

“That is a Very Fancy Restaurant, Hikari-chan. We’d stick out like a sore thumb!” Kiyomi exclaimed.

“Don’t care. We’re going in there”. She walked forward confidently, with Kukki and Kiyomi trailing along behind. Stepping into the restaurant was like stepping into a palace. The décor was stunning, with mini chandeliers and marble floors. There were many businessmen in there, whom took no notice of the teens. They found a table in the far corner of the restaurant and began to talk.

“So, Kobayashi-san, or would you prefer for me to call you Kukki-san?” Hikari requested.

“Kukki-san is much better, please”.

“Alright then. So, as I said yesterday, us and the Sailor Soldiers – we both want to keep humanity safe. But, the Soldiers do not realise the amount of casualties that may come from doing things their way. In order to protect lives, we must work against them. However, our goal is not to hurt them but to merely keep the number of deaths from rising.”

“Ok, but what do you need me for?” Kukki asked, trying to take in all of that information.

“As they say, the more the merrier. It’s always nice to have new teammates!” Kiyomi replied.

“Alright then! If it’s for the good of humanity, then I’ll join you guys. What is the name of your group?”.

Kiyomi went to answer before stopping herself. They didn’t have an official name for the group, and in her mind she had always thought of them being called something like “The Parallel Sailors” but she was sure a name like that wouldn’t go well with Hikari. “Well we haven’t thought of a name yet…”

“Our Soldier names aren’t really consistent so it’s been difficult. Stellar is another term for stars, Galaxy is a system of millions of stars, and Cookies are a dessert item” Hikari said.

“Well what’s something that we all have in common?”.

“Do you guys like anime?” Kukki asked the two, who stared at her in response. “Heck yeah we do!”.

Hikari sighed. “I love anime so much that it was probably the reason why I didn’t have many friends”.

“And I had other friends but most of them wouldn’t speak to me after we all went to different junior high schools” Kiyomi added.

“How about we call ourselves the Otaku Soldiers then?”.

Hikari responded by wrinkling her nose in disgust. “Aren’t Otaku’s supposed to be loser’s who like eating playing video games, eating Hot Pockets and living in their mother’s basement being total recluses?” she sneered, not wanting to be labelled as such.

“Well yes but maybe we can put a more positive spin on the term. Picture this: a group of young teenagers fighting to save the world while also looking cute and stylish, and they happen to love anime!” Kukki monologued excitedly.

“Since we have no other relevant suggestions then I guess when can be the Otaku Soldiers” Kiyomi smiled.

“It’ll take me awhile to get used to that term without cringing”.

“Anyway, since there’s almost always a battle every other day, be on high alert Kukki-san.  The enemy might attack” she said.

“I agree with Kiyomi-chan. It’s better to be alert and ready to burst into action. We best be going though. I hope you’ve come to understand our goal’s Kukki-san!” Hikari added while getting ready to leave.

“See you guys later….maybe?” Kukki said as she waved goodbye to her friends who are leaving the Very Fancy Restaurant.

Once they were outside and away from Kukki’s sharp ears, Kiyomi turned to her friend. “You lied to her”.

“She wouldn’t have understood”.

“I understood perfectly though and she probably would have been on your side anyway even if you told her you were working for the Black Moon”.

“You’re wrong. She wouldn’t have joined us if she knew I was in league with them” Hikari retorted, walking on ahead. “I will be at the abandoned temple with Calaveras activating the henge. Your job is to keep the Sailor Soldiers as far away as possible. Do not summon Kukki-san unless the situation becomes dire” she instructed.

“As you wish. I’ll catch you later then” Kiyomi nodded. She then broke off running into the street. Hikari went on to locate an alleyway where she pulled out her brooch. “Stellar Prism Power, Make-Up!” she cried, transforming before teleporting back to the abandoned temple.

Calaveras was still sitting around when she arrived back. “Did you seriously wait here for me this entire time?” she inquired.

“What else was I supposed to do? I couldn’t leave the henge unguarded, and as tempted as I was to ditch and go shopping, I realised I didn’t have any money on me. Where were you?” Calaveras demanded.  _ How dare she…just leaving me here to look after the henge while running off to who knows where….something that Rubeus may deserve to know _ .

“Briefing Kiyomi-chan on what will be happening today. I told her to keep the Soldiers busy and away from the temple. Saphir should be finished with the Droid and be sending it off the capture the Rabbit, so all we have to do is inject dark energy into the henge and try not to get defeated”.

“Your setting up one soldier to fight five others? That seems pretty stupid”.

“It’s 12:36, class is still in session so we might only get 2 coming out to fight us.”

“Right. I’ll go start injecting the point with energy”.

At Juuban Municipal Primary, Chibiusa was hard at work on her school project with Momoko and Kyuusuke. It was a long and tiresome endeavour, and Chibiusa wished she could be back home where she didn’t have to waste time at school. “Chibiusa-chan, could you go get my packet of crayons off of Kara-san, I let her borrow them and she won’t give them back!” Momoko asked.

She nodded and stepped out of her seat to ask the fair haired girl across the room. “Hey, Kara-san, Momo wants her crayons back”.

“Alright, you don’t have to bug me” the child said, handing the box over. Chibiusa sifted through them to count them up but noticed there was one gone. “The red ones missing. Do you have it?”.

Kara let out a frustrated sigh before reaching into her top pocket and handing over the lone crayon. Chibiusa thanked the girl and ran back to her table. “Thank you Chibiusa-chan! Usually Kara-san is rude and doesn’t give back peoples stuff” Momoko commented.

“She seemed alright to me, she just has a bit of a chip on her shoulder”.

“Are you kidding me? She’s a total brat” Kyuusuke protested.

“Not unlike yourself Kyuusuke Sarashina” Momoko mumbled through gritted teeth. Kyuusuke pocked his tongue out at her.

“Let’s just get back to the project ok?” Chibiusa said.

The children continued working until an announcement was put over the loudspeaker. “Would Tsukino Usagi come down to the main office please? Your guardian has come to collect you”.

“Guardian? But Ikuko-mama didn’t say anything about picking me up early today” Chibiusa said, confused. She stood up to go fetch her bag. “Sorry Momo-chan, I’ll be back tomorrow to finish it with you and Kyuusuke-kun” she apologized before turning to the supervising teacher. “Akari-sensei, may I be excused? I believe my name was called over the loudspeaker”.

“Sure, go ahead Tsukino-san. I expect to see you in class tomorrow morning though”.

Chibiusa ran out of the classroom to the shoe locker bay. She located the locker with a bunny drawn on it and grabbed her red Mary-Janes, placing them on her feet and sliding her plain indoor shoes inside the locker. She then proceeded to the front office, where Ikuko and the receptionist were waiting. 

“Hello, you must be Tsukino Usagi. Your aunt has come to pick you up” the kindly woman smiled.

“Hi Ikuko-mama. Why have you come to pick me up early?” Chibiusa questioned suspiciously. Instead of answering that question, Ikuko merely waved at the receptionist while ushering Chibiusa out the door. The two exited the school and continued down the room until Chibiusa spoke up.

“You still haven’t answered my question Ikuko-mama. Why did you come pick me up early? Have I done something wrong?”.

Ikuko didn’t answer but instead started to mutate. Chibiusa screamed as it revealed itself to be a Droid. The droid picked up Chibiusa and flew away with her, leaving behind her book bag.

Artemis had been keeping close tabs on the child all day and was aware the second she was kidnapped. “I have to tell Minako!” he said while sprinting towards Shiba Koen Middle School. Once there, he jumped up and down at the window of Minako’s classroom, hoping to grab her attention.

Luckily, she noticed.

“Honoka-sensei, I’m feeling unwell as of right now. May I please take a trip to the nurses office?” Minako asked politely.

“Yes, you may go to the nurses office Aino-san. Who is the Health representative for this class?” Honoka asked.

“That would be Megumi but she’s recovering from a broken ankle” a ginger haired girl with freckles answered.

“Well then, I guess the class rep can-“ Honoka stopped, realising Minako had already left.

Minako ran towards Artemis at great speed. “What happened? Is there something wrong?”.

“Chibiusa-chan has been kidnapped by a Droid who was posing as Usagi’s mum. We have to go save her!”.

She reached for her Star Power Stick.  _ God, really? In the middle of class?!  _ “Venus Star Power, Make-Up!”. Within a second she had become Sailor Venus. Both of them hopped over the gate and began to run through the streets.

“Shouldn’t we alert the others?” Artemis said.

“There’s no time! Besides, everybody is in class right now and we can’t disrupt them. We’ll just have to go solo this time around, like the good old days”.

“Are you sure you can handle it?”.

“Artemis, I defeated the Dark Agency. Of course I can handle it!”. Venus leapt in to the air and onto the top of a shop building, Artemis following close behind. They continue to glide across the buildings of Tokyo but are apprehended by Sailor Galaxy, who sent her rabbits after them. 

“Sorry Sailor Venus, I can’t let you go any further!”.

“Get out of my way!”.

“In order to get to the Droid, you will have to defeat me first”.

“Bring It on” Sailor Venus declares, unhooking her chain belt. “Venus Love-Me Chain!”.

Galaxy flips out of the way, activating her Rabbits Explosion attack which dazes and disorientates Venus. She then takes the opportunity to send another attack flying her way. “Kitty Cat Offense!”.

The large fore cats are summoned and charge towards Venus. They create a huge spinning inferno around her. Venus tries to use her Crescent Beam to destroy them but they keep spinning faster and faster. Two of the cats grab onto her wrists and try to pull her arms, causing her to earn a painful third degree burn.

All of a sudden the cats disappear and Tuxedo Mask is standing in front of her. “Sailor Venus, are you alright?”.

“My wrists are killing me…..thanks for saving me though. How did you get here so quickly?”.

“Artemis alerted me via communicator. I just happened to take the day off of school today so I was able to get here faster”.

Galaxy stood up from the building. “Hmm two adversaries who want to fight…this should be interesting”.

“You aren’t getting the best of me, Galaxy! Venus Love-Me Chain!”. The chains spun around, creating an enclosed circle around Sailor Galaxy. There was a brief pause before the chains snapped around her, fastening themselves into the ground.

“Good job Sailor Venus, now let’s go save Chibiusa!” Tuxedo Mask declared.

“Wait you guys aren’t going to the temple?” Galaxy asked, confused. She knew they were going after Chibiusa but assumed the Droid was taking her to the temple but they seemed to be going in the opposite direction.

“Temple? What temple?”.

Galaxy bit her tongue, realising the stupid thing she just said. “The temple that doesn’t exist”.

“You are a really terrible liar” Venus commented.

“I know” Galaxy sighed. “The temple is an abandoned one where Stellar and Calaveras are planning their attack”.

“So that means –“ Tuxedo Mask trailed off looking at the darker side of town. “We’re too late….”.

“Come on, we need to see what we can do to stop them!” Venus said.

“And you are taking me with you right?” Galaxy asked hopefully.

“No”.

“I can’t just be left here unsupervised, i’ll be lonely!” She whined.

“Artemis, watch her while we go save Chibiusa” Tuxedo Mask ordered the feline. “Why am I always stuck on guard duty?” Artemis yelled while the two left. “And what is it with you guys abandoning me?”.

At the temple, Stellar was awaiting anxiously. “Finally, we’ve actually succeeded in something! We should get put the champagne and dance the night away!”.

“Are you even old enough to drink?”.

“Maybe, maybe not”.

“Let’s just get this over with and-“ Calaveras said before being interrupted by the abrupt arrival of Sailor Venus and Tuxedo Mask.

“Can you guys just stop trying to take over Tokyo?” Venus chided.

“Can you guys stop trying to ruin our plans to take over Tokyo?” Stellar rebutted.

“We’ve been over this before” Tuxedo Mask rolled his eyes in frustration.

Stellar was also feeling frustration but directed towards the opposing group. She was a bit sick of the almost daily stream of fights but it was necessary in order to achieve her goal. “I guess we’ll engage in our obligatory fight now, right?” she said.

“This really is getting old isn’t it?” Venus replied sympathetically.

Stellar looked at her with a weary expression. If they weren’t enemies, she probably would have started ranting on how time consuming her plans were. “Well, let’s spruce things up a little! 1v1, you, me, fight” she said.

“So, what do I do?” Tuxedo Mask asked.

“I don’t know. Spectate?”.

“You could fight me. I’m still here you know!” Calaveras said indignantly. Tuxedo Mask then agreed to battle Calaveras.

“So when do we start?” Venus asked.

“When I say we do, which is now” Stellar proclaimed, diving into the air spectacularly and performing a spin while firing her Eclipse Ray. Venus countered the attack with her own Crescent Beam and ran forward to try to defeat her.

Meanwhile, Tuxedo Mask had fired his Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber at Calaveras, who in turn used her Dark Beaut whip to attack.

A bunch of fighting ensures when Tuxedo Mask has a moment of realization.  _ Why am I fighting them? I should be trying to destroy the henge _ . Just as Calaveras was lunged forward, he spun out of the way and shot the henge, damaging it.

Venus and Stellar’s fight immediately stops after the damage had been dealt. “Are you serious?!” Calaveras fumes.

“Well that was mercifully short. We should probably go grab Sailor Galaxy and release her or something” Sailor Venus said, waving at Tuxedo Mask.

Stellar’s face registered shock, which was quickly hidden under concern and a hint of fear. “You guys captured Galaxy?”.

“Yes”.

Sailor Stellar glared at the two, and swung her arm out in front of her, releasing a force that pushes them back into the lot’s brick wall. “The battle isn’t over yet. The henge is only slightly damaged, nothing more than a scratch” she says confidently, flipping her pigtailed hair.

“Looks like your powers are working again. I’ll go and emit more energy to the henge. It’ll be harder now that it’s damaged, but it’s still achievable” Calaveras said, running off inside the temple.

Venus reached for her communicator. She weakly flipped open the lid and pressed the centre button. “Everyone…..please…..” she manages to croak out before Stellar had snatched the communicator from her hands. “Sorry, but you won’t be needing this anymore, Aino Minako” Stellar scoffs, throwing the device onto the ground below. With a wave of her hand, she had summoned the Crystal Sword and struck down at the watch, destroying it.

“You….know?” Sailor Venus said, looking up with immense fear in her eyes.

“Of course I know who all of you really. Chiba Mamoru, Hino Rei, Kino Makoto, Mizuno Ami, Tsukino Usagi and you, Aino Minako are the team that protect this planet” Stellar responded.

“It was supposed to be a secret…..” Tuxedo Mask said.

“You knew their real identities this whole time and never said anything!” Calaveras called out angrily.

Stellar then realized she had overstepped the line. She hadn’t meant to reveal the fact she knew the girls real identities, as she wanted to initially protect them from any sneak attacks. After all, her priority was ensuring that death did not come to the Black Moon Clan. But she had gotten way too cocky, wanting to spout some intense battle dialogue. “It…….didn’t really cross my mind earlier to tell the truth. We can talk about how much of an idiot I am later, go back to doing the thing” Stellar stammered. Turning to the defeated Sailor Venus and Tuxedo Mask, she decided to make a bargain with them. “Tell you what, you guys release Galaxy and I will spare you from death, this time around”.

Now, what she was doing was greatly foolish, especially since Chibiusa was in her possession and they were incapacitated, not likely to go anyway or cause her much trouble. But Sailor Galaxy, no, Kiyomi, was her best friend. 

And best friends don’t abandon each other.

“If you release Chibiusa-chan, it’s a done deal” Tuxedo Mask said.

“Alright” Stellar said, clicking her fingers. Chibiusa then appeared in front of Tuxedo Mask, unconscious. “Here she is”.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Calaveras screamed.  _ She gets the Rabbit and then just hands her over to the enemy! Whose side is she on anyway?! _

“She’s with Artemis not far from here” Tuxedo Mask informed her. Stellar breathed a sigh of relief.  _ Good, she’s not far. Don’t worry Kiyomi-chan, I’m coming for you.  _ “Hey C, that almost done or what?”.

“I don’t appreciate you talking to me that way but it’s finished! We’ve successfully captured the negative point!” Calaveras announced as the henge emitted a huge bolt of lightning. “At least one good thing came out of today”.

“Great, and don’t worry I talk to almost everybody like that. So is it immune to breaking now?”.

“Yes, so Sailor Moon can’t use her wand against it”.

“Well now, we’ll be off to fetch my friend. Good game guys!” Stellar said sarcastically before running out of the abandoned lot, with Calaveras close behind her. 

Venus stood up to observe the henge, which was now completely enthralled by the Black Crystal’s power. “I can’t let them win this one. Venus Love-Me Chain!” she yelled, running forward. The chain ended up rebounding and hitting her in the face.

“None of our attacks are likely to work. We failed this one. All we can do is make sure they don’t claim anymore victories” Tuxedo Mask sighed before noticing a gleaming black object on the ground. Leaning down to pick it up, he realized it was a crystalline earring. “It looks like the ones that lady Calaveras was wearing”.

“We should take it to Luna to see if she can analyse it. They may have won this battle, but we’ve gained another clue as to who the enemy is” Venus said, picking up Chibiusa. Both of them de-transformed and left the temple in great shame, but with a glimmer of hope.


	6. Act 6 - Crystal Points, Annihilate

Hours had passed since the Black Moon had prevailed in infecting a sector of Tokyo with their dark power. Large storm clouds had begun to gather around the spire, with news reporters and authorities trying to discern what this mysterious object was. The henge had only grown bigger in size, prompting police to cordon off the abandoned shrine until further notice.  Minako looked on from the side, worry clouding her fair face. In her arms she was holding Artemis, who was spectating the chaos ahead. Feeling his companion’s discomfort, he turns his head towards Minako and tries to reassure her by telling her that she was not at fault for the outcome of the battle. She smiled in return but it was clear she didn’t feel the same way. 

The two soon left the area, onwards to the secret base under the Crown Arcade. As she walked through the automatic glass doors, the worker Motoki gave Minako a wave. She smiled and waved back before heading towards the Sailor V game. For once, the popular game was deserted as an out of order sign had been placed atop it. Quickly checking to see nobody was watching, Minako leant down and entered the secret password. The console activated and started to slide to the side, revealing a set of stairs. The pair descended upon them, leaving behind the world to enter the secret base below.

Usagi, Mamoru, Luna and Ami were already there. They had crowded around one of the supercomputers were the crystalline object Mamoru had collected in battle, safely sitting in a glass dish. Chibiusa was also present, however was asleep on a seat a few feet away. “After running a few simple tests on it, i can conclude that this earring is made of matter nothing like we’ve ever seen before” Luna announced, raising her paw lightly to touch the edge of the glass dish. “It’s radiating dangerous amounts of dark energy”. 

“Is there anything else you can tell us about it?” Artemis asked, leaping out of Minako’s arms and trotted towards Luna.

“It’s made of a substance similar to the Silver Crystal, but is different at the same time”.

Artemis looked down, his face wrinkling into a frown. “All the members of the Black Moon we’ve seen thus far have been wearing them, so it’s most likely a sort of symbol. Like the black crescent marks they have on their foreheads” he asserted. 

“Do you think it might also be related to their mystical powers?”.

“I’m not sure but I wouldn’t put it out of the realm of plausibility”.

The conversation was interrupted by a soft groan. Usagi turned and saw Chibiusa beginning to stir. She walked over to where the little girl was lying and knelt down, petting her forehead. Chibiusa’s eyes began to flutter open and a dazed expression settled on her face. “Huh…why am i….Usagi-chan? Minako-chan, Mamo-chan, and Ami-chan? What are you guys doing here?” she muttered, weakly adjusting her arms. Usagi leans forward and picks her up in her arms, carrying her towards the rest of the group. “Ahh, Chibiusa-chan. You’re finally awake. We need you for something” Luna beamed. 

“Sure, how can i help?” Chibiusa asked, rubbing her eyes. 

Luna picked up the dish with her mouth and leapt off the console, before placing the object down in front of the girl. “Take a look at this earring. Do you know anything about it?”.

Chibiusa crouched and picked up the dish, squinting at it. Suddenly, her face began to drain of colour and her ruby red eyes widened. Her body had begun shaking. “That….earring…..get it away from me!” she screamed, tossing it to the ground. Mamoru and Usagi gasped, the former reaching forward to embrace the child. Luna inspected the dish and breathed a sigh of relief. The dish had cracked slightly but otherwise remained undamaged, enough to contain the dark power.

“Chibiusa-chan, are you alright?!” Minako asked concernedly, stepping forward carefully as to not frighten her. Chibiusa continued to cling to Mamoru, trying to suppress her cries. “It’s evil! Please, destroy it while you can!” Chibiusa continued frantically, hiding her face as to not have to look at the cursed object.

“We will, but you have to tell us what it is” Ami asserted. 

“It’s because of that stone that Mama…my mama is….”.

Mamoru gripped the girl tighter, doing his best to comfort her.  _ She must have experienced something extremely traumatic for this reaction to surfice _ . He felt Chibiusa’s little hand reach for him, so he gently embraced it. However, in almost an instant, the minute their hands touched, Mamoru experienced a flash of images across his mind. A city made of crystal, an explosion, and the little pink haired girl screaming. Before half a second passed, the visions disappeared. “It’s ok, Chibiusa, it can’t harm you in this state” Mamoru said, lowering his voice. He begins to lift her up, trying to alleviate her fear. “I’ll take Chibiusa home, it’s not good for her to be down here any longer. You coming, Usako?”. 

Usagi nods, before turning back to Luna. “Luna, can you continue to study it to try and figure out it’s origins? We need to figure out what it's made of. The enemy has already taken over one area of Tokyo, and we need to figure a way to destroy it” she requests. Luna agrees and takes the sample away for more testing. 

On Nemesis, Hikari had arrived back from her minorly successful mission. However, instead of being cheerful, she was frustrated. She had lost Chibiusa once again, and while seizing a sector of Tokyo, capture of Chibiusa was her main priority. In anger, she slams her fist against the wall, ignoring the shooting pain caused by doing so. “No more...no more fooling around” she growls, before falling to the ground, gripping her right wrist to ease the pain. Hikari groans.  _ It’s one small victory, but it’s not enough. I need to be more proactive in the future.  _ “From now on, it's capture Chibiusa or nothing. No matter what. I don't care who i have to hurt or whose blood i have to spill” she mutters darkly. Gathering herself, she stumbles over to her bed and collapses on it with a large sigh. 

She began to lightly doze, but for how long she didn’t know because just as Hikari was about to drift off, the doors slam open and admit a mildly annoyed Rubeus. “You've failed yet another mission and here i find you dozing on the job. Any excuses to declare?” he chastises, walking swiftly towards Hikari. She bolted up out of bed and turns to face him. 

“I'm sorry ok...i did what you asked, i implanted a dark henge successfully, but the Rabbit managed to get away” she stated, trying to sound confident. Obviously, Rubeus wasn’t buying it, as he kept glaring at her. ”I have a plan for her capture, i promise. No more fooling around. This time, in order to capture the Rabbit, we must eliminate those who protect her!” she continued, doing her best to keep her anxieties down. She found it hard to explain herself when she felt judged. 

Rubeus raised his eyebrows in response. “The Sailor Soldiers i presume?”.

Smiling weakly, she said “Yes. Sailor Moon is our number one target. She has been quite troublesome so far, especially with that immense power of hers. Depending on how we catch her, she could be difficult to eliminate”. 

Rubeus continued to stare her down, while Hikari tried her best to retain composure.  After what felt like a millenia, he shrugged and began to leave. “Do with her what you will, all i'm interested in is the Rabbits capture. One of the sisters will help you on your next mission, and i'll order Saphir to make another henge, but i'll be keeping a sharp eye on you. You're missteps are making the prince question your competence” he calls out as he reaches the door. “You wouldn’t want him to decide to dispose of you” Rubeus smirks.

Hikari’s face starts to fall at his threat, her face turning slightly red in embarrassment.  _ Can’t he understand that i’m already giving myself a hard enough time with all these failures, i don’t need him criticising me as well!  _ she thought. As much as she wanted to say that out loud, she bit her tongue.  _ No use antagonising him. It could lead to my demise _ . It was the smart thing to do after all.

“I’ll try my best” she manages to mumble. To this, Rubeus just rolled his eyes. “Nobody cares about your best, wench. We care about results. And results you must deliver”. He pauses, seemingly trying to remember something else. “There is one last thing i'd like to clear up. Calaveras told me of you abandoning post yesterday. Care to explain?” he asks.

“I was briefing my friend, who's another Sailor Soldier on what we should do. She's been helping me for the past few missions”.

“I'll look the other way for this, but in the future i command you not to leave your post” Rubeus shrugs, before swiftly making his exit. Once he was gone, Hikari was free to express the emotions she repressed during their exchange. She cursed under her breath and internally reprimands herself to do better. To try to distract herself, she starts to move the last of her items from boxes and to places around the room. Though in all honesty, she didn’t see much point in arranging things if her position could be terminated at any moment. However, it was enough to keep her occupied for a good 20 minutes. Alas, afterwards she was at a loss at what to do. Hikari sighed and headed for the door. Sometimes when she felt down she’d wander. Back home she would sometimes leave the class to sit in the back of the school when her anxiety got really bad, or when she was really upset. 

Hikari wandered the castle forlornly, encountering whole rooms she had never even seen before. The castle was bigger than she originally thought, and thus far she had found a few meeting rooms, several drawing rooms and a large ballroom that looked like it hadn’t been used in forever. She had no idea how long she aimlessly floated around, but eventually she came to a large set of double doors, decorated lavishly with crystal and ornate carvings. Sighing, she pushed against the doors lightly and found herself looking into a large bedroom. The walls were decorated with quartz and diamonds, a small chandelier hung in the centre of the room. She noticed Demande sitting at a desk in the far right corner of the room, his fingers running through his long silver hair, looking pensive. Hikari gasped at the grandeur of it all, alerting the prince of her presence. 

They both locked eyes for a minute, Hikari starting to blush. Demande wasn’t wearing his cape and jacket, instead wearing a low buttoned white shirt and white jeans.  _ He looks so informal, and...so so gorgeous... _

“Hikari-san?”

Hikari proceeded to snap out of her daydream and back to reality. Coyly, she held both of her hands behind her back and meekly said “Sorry, i didn't know where i was going. I'll leave now”. 

“It’s fine. I was about to leave anyway”.

“Were you now? Well, if you don’t mind…” Hikari smirked, edging her way towards one of the gilded armchairs that sat adjacent to the desk. 

“You do know how i feel about your recent defeats?” Demande asked, staring her down coldly. 

“I know. Rubeus has been very adamant about it. I want to let you know personally of my remorse in displeasing you” she replied, grabbing one of her ponytails. She began to divide her hair into different strands and plait them. It was a nervous habit she started around the start of middle school, and at this point she was so good at it she could do it without looking. 

Demande shook his head, and sighed. “I don’t need an apology, i need a promise for action” he murmured tiredly. Standing up, he looks down at Hikari and asks “You will capture the Rabbit won’t you?”.  She nods in reply. “I understand how important she is to our cause”. He continued to stare down at her until.  _ She looks adorable from this angle, with those adorable bright eyes _ . His face softens slightly, and walks over to the side table where a bottle of wine was. He opened up one of the draws and picked up two glasses. “Have the other one” he says nonchalantly. 

Hikari stood up and walked over to pick up the glass. She brought it to her lips and sipped some of  the red liquid, before making a strange face and looking up at Demande. “It tastes so bitter, how can you stand it?” she asks.

“It's a distraction mostly”.

“From what?”.

“What's happening. I've only been tolerant of my clan's declining success because of this” he replies, swirling the contents of the glass around lightly. 

“I can see that. Still can’t see how anyone could tolerate this stuff” she laughs.

“Don’t get me wrong, i like drinking for fun too. Alcohol is an acquired taste though, so i’m not surprised you don’t like it. It also depends on how old you are too, younger you are the worse it tastes”.

Hikari nodded. “Makes sense, i am thirteen after all”.

He looked down at her with a look of shock on his face. “ _ Thirteen _ ?” he coughed, trying to hide the surprise in his voice. Hikari wasn’t fooled and looked up at him in confusion. “Well, what age did you think i was?” she questioned.

“Sixteen at the youngest, so the same age as Koan. You look older than you are” Demande replied. He then proceeded to run his fingers through his silvery hair.  _ She’s the youngest of us all, how did i not pick up on that? I’ve been thinking a fucking thirteen year old is cute.  _

His thoughts were interrupted by Hikari remarking “Thanks, i guess?” with a light smile. She proceeded to scull the rest of her glass, before setting it down beside her. “This shit’s addictive, isn’t it? Gotta say, i hate it but-”

“You want more”.

“Aww, how did you know?” Hikari says, pretending to be shocked. 

“I’ve been young before” he laughed, grabbing the bottle to refill her glass.

“Aren’t you still? You’re like, eighteen or something”.

“I guess so. It feels like we’ve been this struggle with Crystal Tokyo for an eternity now”.

Hikari fell silent, knowing that the only reason things weren’t going faster is because she wasn’t succeeding and pulling enough of her own weight. She raises her glass high, and grins, attempting to brighten the mood. “Cheers, gorgeous” she says, before catching herself. Hikari quickly covered her cheeks, which had begun to burn furiously bright. Despite all of this, Demande had noticed her slip up, and merely laughed about it. Hikari quickly drank another glass of wine to distract herself from the embarrassment she felt, with every sip she drank she felt her brain getting fuzzier and fuzzier. Suddenly, keeping her affection hidden didn’t seem like much of an issue anymore.

“Hey...Demande-senpai...you know i meant what i said…” she slurred, feeling tipsy.

He looked at her strangely before figuring out she was probably close to hitting drunk. “Alright you, enough drinks for the night” he said with a stern voice, grabbing the glass out of her hands and setting it aside. She whined objectively, and tried to reach for it. “No, i want more!”. 

“Too bad. You’re already drunk as is, go to bed”.

“Alright...i will” she slurred, trying to walk forward. Her plan was to originally go back to her own room and crash, but somewhere between the table and the door Hikari decided against this, instead choosing to slump over on the large king sized bed. “This is comfy…”

“I meant your own bed…” he trailed off, before stopping himself. Was it really that big a deal for her to just sleep there? It would cause him more hassle to drag her along to her own room. Demande stepped forward and pulled a sheet over her. She was already out cold.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, Kukki was watching the rain from her apartment window. It was mostly quiet, save for a track playing quietly on Kukki’s phone in the background. For the most part, she noticed nothing but the rain and how it splashed against the glass pane. It was funny how quickly the weather could change. Before it had been sunny, but then a dark black cloud had begun to loom and in a matter of time the city was drenched. Kukki was unfortunate enough to be outside when the change in weather happened, shopping for groceries.  For now though, she was content in just watching the world. 

She glanced over at her transformation pen, laying discarded on a small side table by the window sill.  _ It’s been awhile since i’ve had contact with Pluto. I should probably tell her what’s been going on, and ask her a few things _ . Reaching for it, Kukki twisted the head of the pen, summoning a hologram of Sailor Pluto.

“Pluto-chan!” she squeaked. 

“Kukki? What do i owe the pleasure of this call?”.

“I'm so confused, Pluto-chan. Why did you send my to the past? I've arrived and everything seems fine. Sailor Moon is alive and well, nothing too dangerous is happening. What am i meant to fix?” Kukki asked.

“Kukki, your job is to fix discrepancies in the timestream. Even if it may not seem dire at the moment, things have already changed around you. There are two Sailor Soldiers who are not meant to be here” Pluto disciplines. 

Kukki pulled back. “Hikari-chan and Kiyomi-chan? But they’re my friends…”.

“Be wary of them, Kukki. Somewhere along the way, one of them will make a decision that will change the course of history. The fate of the future could very well collapse”.

“Will something happen to Sailor Moon?”.

“I don't know, but i do know that with both of them around, lives are put in danger. Stay vigilant, Kukki” Pluto cautions, before the hologram promptly disappears and Kukki is alone once again. 

She stares at her transformation pen for a couple of seconds, trying to process what Pluto had just said.  _ Hikari-chan and Kiyomi-chan will destroy the future? But how? They seem like such good and kind people _ . Placing the pen down, Kukki walks over to her discarded shopping and begins to sort through it. Most of it was ingredients to make the simplest of meals, as she wasn’t extremely skilled in cooking. After she finished sorting all the items, she realised that she forgot something.  _ Aw boo, i forgot ice-cream. I’ll have to go out in the rain again, ugh _ . Reaching for her raincoat, she slips out of the apartment and to the streets below. The rain had not seemed to let up, in Kukki’s opinion, it appeared to have gotten worse. The wind had picked up considerably, causing her hair to smack into her face. “They better have my favourite flavor” she mutters. 

Once she got closer to the store, the wind had begun to die down. Right before she was about to enter, she encountered Minako and Ami, who were just leaving. 

Kukki looked at them with wide eyes in admiration. “Aino-san, Mizuno-san…”.

Ami looked at her, confused. “I’m sorry, do we know you?” she questioned.

Kukki looks down sadly. “No, you don’t i guess. Not as i am now”.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Minako asked, her face looking at Kukki in scrutiny. How did this girl know them? Considering that Stellar knew of their secret identities, this could be a plot by her to lure them. 

Kukki looked around before lowering her voice and replying “I'm the new soldier that arrived recently. Sailor Cookie”.

Upon this revelation, Minako’s face relaxed slightly. She was still cautious however, remembering who exactly it was that Kukki had fought for. “Sailor Cookie? Your the one who's teamed with Stellar aren't you?” Minako enquired.

“I guess you could say that, yeah”.

Ami and Minako exchanged a quick glance before turning back to Kukki. “Maybe we should talk about this somewhere more private” Ami suggested. 

Both parties agreed to vacate the area and discuss these issues at the Crown Fruit Parlor. They chose a secluded booth up the back of the store, and once the waitress left with their orders, the stern mood returned.

“So, what’s your story?” Minako asked. 

“I'm Kukki Kobayashi and I came here from the future. My idol, Sailor Pluto, granted me Sailor Soldier powers and sent me back in time to fix the timestream. Apparently something big is going to happen that will bring chaos to the future”.

“Sailor...Pluto?” Ami said confusedly. 

“She's the guardian of the door of space-time. She's a lone soldier, so it's not surprising that you don't know about her. Pluto's been alive since the beginning of time, even after Silver Millenium fell she resided by the door, where she'll remain for eternity” Kukki explained. 

“That must be really lonely for her” Minako replied. She turned to thank the waitress who brought her drink, before closing her eyes and taking a sip out of the straw.

“It is. She doesn't get much company other than me, I can contact her via hologram. Even then it's usually only talk about our mission”. 

“Why are you siding with Sailor Stellar then?”.

“I had a talk with her and Sailor Galaxy. They're mission is to stop casualties in battle. I promise you they're not bad people, they're actually really sweet” Kukki explained. Though, there was doubt lingering in her mind, after her previous conversation with Pluto. 

“Are you sure about that?” Ami asked.

“Yes, why?”.

“We think she's working for the enemy” Minako explained.

Kukki stared at them both in disbelief, her eyes wide and curious. “The enemy? Hikari-chan...she wouldn’t…”.

Minako leaned forward and placed her hand on Kukki’s, looking up at her with sympathetic eyes. “You've seen the way they've been attacking us. Stellar's been striking her sword all over the place, trying to hurt us” she said calmly. 

“She's not trying to hurt you! She's defending herself because you can't see that she's good” Kukki yelled, pulling her hand away from Minako. The two girls looked at her in shock and their little group had begun to draw the attention of fellow diners. Embarrassed, Kukki retreated back into her seat. 

“Kobayashi-san, we just want to talk. You sound like your being manipulated by this madwoman. We're only trying to look out for you” Ami asserted gently. 

“We think it's best if you joined forces with us, since from what i understand you seem to have a noble heart” Minako added, 

Ami nodded in agreement and added “Besides, fighting the enemy lately has been tough, and we are no closer to figuring out who they are or what they're intentions may be.”.

Kukki stared at both of them, her face full of confusion. Did they just say what she think they said? Did they want her to join them? She began to drift off into one of her long-time favourite daydreams: the one where she’s fighting alongside Sailor Moon and her Sailor Soldiers.  _ I have a chance to actually fight with my childhood heroes, to be a warrior for love and justice!  _ However, her mind flashed to Hikari, and the words she had told her on their first meeting.  _ But i can’t abandon Hikari-chan and Kiyomi-chan...they need my help _ .

She stood up and collected her raincoat, looking down at the pair of girls sympathetically. “You've got the wrong idea. I'm not working against you, i actually admire and respect you all! But i've made a promise to help Hikari-chan, and i'm keeping it” she explained, hoping they’d understand. Though she feared they wouldn’t. “I should get going. Sorry for wasting your time”.

Barely a day later, Luna had called the group into their base for an important meeting. However, due to cram school, clubs or other obligations, Ami, Minako and Makoto were unable to attend, leaving Usagi and Rei to receive the news on the results of the test. Luna trotted into the room and placed the glass case containing the earring on the centre of the table. “We ran tests on it, and can confirm it's full of 100% concentrated dark energy. It's made of matter we have never seen before, but it's power and strength is almost a rival to the Legendary Silver Crystal” Luna announced. 

“Power rivalling the Silver Crystal?” Rei remarked in awe.

“No wonder they've been so powerful. We've been overpowered from the very start” Usagi groaned, holding her head in her hands. “I can't stand this, it feels like we’re kneeling at their mercy. Chibiusa needs to talk, we need answers. At the very least, she can tell us information about the Black Moon that we don't know”. 

Artemis proceeded to make his presence known, jumping up on the table and positioning himself inches away from Luna. “Chibiusa may know about the Black Moon but i doubt she'd know about Stellar”.

“Sailor Stellar...the anomaly soldier. Even in the past of Silver Millenium, there was no Sailor Stellar we heard of. She doesn't seem to hail from any planet, and she just appeared out of nowhere” Luna pondered. 

“Do you think she might have come from the same place as Chibiusa?” Rei asked.

“It's possible. They both seem to know what's going on”.

“I wish there was a way to get Stellar on our side. Her information on the Black Moon is incredibly valuable, and her power is amazing” Usagi commented, her eyes dark and serious. 

Rei scrunched up her nose in disgust and glared at Usagi. “There is no way, Usagi-chan. Sailor Stellar is a deluded woman on the side of evil. She's put us all in danger” she argued.

“But we’re all Sailor Soldiers in the end…”.

“Doesn't matter. She's dangerous and insane, and is with the enemy” Rei snapped firmly.

Luna, uneasy of the tension present, tried to step forward and offer another point of view. “There is a possibility she's a brainwashed captive” she added, hoping Rei would consider this and stop acting so antagonistically. Alas, Rei just shook her head and sighed. “I doubt it. She believes everything she says, about being a soldier for "real" justice. Stellar's delusional, and you know it Luna”.

“What about Galaxy and Cookie? She's not alone remember” Usagi piped up.  

“Galaxy obviously cares about Stellar, as she begged us to stop fighting her in a previous battle. I think she's been manipulated by Stellar. As for Cookie, who knows what her situation is”. 

“I wonder why she's siding with the Black Moon in the first place. We know next to nothing about her and have not much way of finding out” Artemis added. “If only we knew how to locate the Black Moon's base, we could find her and learn why she's here”.

The sound of footsteps descended on the stairs, and the group looked up to see Ami and Minako joining them. The two bore troubled looks on their faces, alerting Usagi and the group that something was wrong. “Ami-chan? Minako-chan? Is everything ok?” Usagi asked.

“I guess, well, we ran into Sailor Cookie in her civilian identity…” Minako mumbled.

“What happened?” Rei inquired, shocked.

“She was pretty nice to us, actually. We invited her to the Crown Fruit Parlour and tried to ask for information” Ami answered.

“Did you get any?”.

“A bit. We discovered she was sent from the future by another Sailor Senshi who granted her powers. She was sent to fix our timestream apparently”.

“Another Sailor Soldier?”. Usagi was puzzled. Before Stellar had shown up, she didn’t even know there were more of them out there, and hearing more being discovered unnerved her slightly. After all, the three who had shown up are fighting  _ against  _ them. 

“Yes, she said her name was Sailor Pluto”.

Luna gasped. “Sailor Pluto?!” she said, before turning to Artemis. “I remember Queen Serenity telling us about her”.

“The guardian of the space-time door, a lone soldier with her eternal duty to protect the flow of time from invaders” Artemis stated.  “If she was sent by Sailor Pluto then she must have good intentions, right?” he pondered, lifting his white paw to his face.

Luna nodded. “Indeed. Sailor Pluto is our oldest, and most reliable Soldier”. 

“But why is she protecting Sailor Stellar then?” Rei contended.

“Maybe...we misjudged her?” Usagi challenged.

Rei looked over at the girl as if she were insane, before scoffing and lifting her head high. “No way. She’s been trying to kill us!”.

“Well, how do you know that, Rei-chan?” Usagi stood up angrily, walking over to her.  _ I’m sick of Rei thinking i’m soft for seeing the good in people, and i’m sick of her not even giving Stellar a chance _ . Meanwhile, Minako rolled her eyes and everyone else sighed, preparing for another fight between the two. 

“Oh really? Then why is she waving her sword around and constantly trying to slit a neck? You’re too soft Usagi-chan” she countered.

Both girls continued to stare at each other in anger until Rei’s face began to soften, and, to everyone’s surprise, her eyes began to cloud over with tears. “Sorry...i'm just trying to protect us. I don’t actually think your weak or naive Usagi, your actually the strongest one of us all. I just... I care so much about you all, and i couldn't bear losing any of you. I already lost my mother” she sniffed. Her eyes began to water, and she pushed them away off her face. 

Usagi stared at her sadly, trying to think of something she could do to help. She produced a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Rei with a gentle smile. “It’s ok Rei-chan”. Usagi leaned in to embrace the girl. “I care about you too, and i’m sorry i got mad at you”.

“Usagi-chan…”.

Minako and Ami stepped forward and wrapped their arms around Rei, showing her their love and support. They had never seen Rei like this before, especially being the first time she’s mentioned her deceased mother. She continued to cry lightly in their arms, before pulling away and smiling weakly. “I’m ok now. Thanks for being here for me”.

The world was hazy around her as she struggled to open her eyes. Vaguely, she could make out the shape of a glittering chandelier, made out of what looked like diamonds. Hikari groaned, and blinked before an awful pain struck the front of her head.  “Fucking alcohol….tylenol, where are you…” she muttered, trying to pick herself up off the bed. Hikari managed to get to her feet and began walking over to the desk, still half asleep. She pulled open one of the draws and began searching haphazardly amongst papers and other objects. Her hand hit a plastic container and she pulled it out. Glancing at the label to determine what it contained, she opened it and took out two tablets of paracetamol. With no water, she just chucked the pills in her mouth and swallowed, gagging. 

“Where am i anyway…” Hikari mumbled, feeling like a zombie. She noticed she was in a lavish bedroom, and instantly remembered what happened.  _ I’m in Demande-sama’s room. He must have  left me here after i passed out. What do i think i’m doing, drinking on the job. Rubeus is gonna be pissed at me _ .

She walks towards the door and pushes it open, on her way to find the aforementioned redhead as well as mentally preparing herself for his anger. Sadly, two corridors down and she encountered Esmeraude, who was fanning herself against one of the crystalline pillars. Upon seeing Hikari, she glared and pulled her fan in front of her face. “You” she hissed.

Hikari smirked. “Is that anyway to greet a friend, Esmeraude? 

“You are no ‘friend’ of mine”.

“Yeah, whatever. Do you know where Rubeus is?”.

“Yes, but just so you know he's not letting you on the mission today” she laughed, flashing a sadistic grin at the younger girl.

“Why?”.

“After you passed out, Demande informed him that he was sending Berthier in place of you. He thinks it's better if you stay here”. Esmeraude snorted in disgust. “I don’t know why he hasn’t just gotten rid of you already”.

“Maybe it’s because of my extreme cuteness?” Hikari said with a high pitched voice, widening her eyes and pouting her lips. She then broke the act and laughed. However, Esmeraude did not find the joke as funny as Hikari had, as she merely looked at her in annoyance before whipping out a compact containing blush. Usually, she’d have a lot more fun taunting the woman but Hikari decided to make haste before anything could occur, deciding it was better to be on her way.

She started to make her way back to her room before the image of a cloaked figure crossed her mind.  _ Wiseman...i wonder what that bastard’s up to _ . Her mind flashed to the chapters of the manga she read, of the treachery that Wiseman had unleashed on all, and of Sailor Moon defeating him with her Silver Crystal.  _ If i don’t stop him, the world and the future will be doomed. All of the Black Moon will die, along with the rest of the galaxy. I need the Sailor Soldiers alive, because Sailor Moon is the only one who can defeat Wiseman, but they haven’t been co-operative at all. I still haven’t got any solid evidence of his crimes, so nobody will believe me _ . She furrowed her brows and held her hands close to her chest, and began to advance forward, quickly and quietly.  _ I can’t let them die, i can’t let any of them die _ .

Locating Wiseman was difficult, as he was not in any of the areas Hikari had encountered him previously. There was always a possibility he was in an area of the castle she didn’t know about, however how to locate these areas was a mystery. She searched until she found herself in one of the back halls in the darkest part of the castle. At the end of the ominous hallway was a door. Hikari cautiously twisted the handle and pushed the door forward. What lay beyond was a giant black crystal, glowing red in the centre of the room. Wiseman was facing towards it, occupied by his ever present crystal ball. Quietly, Hikari hid behind the door and tried to make out what the cloaked figure was saying. 

“This plan should work. The Rabbit should be in our custody very soon, and i can use her to my advantage. Soon my time will come, soon the time of darkness will prevail” he cackled, before pausing. He turned towards where Hikari was hiding, alerting her to duck her head behind the door. Wiseman, unconvinced he was alone, raised his hand and used his powers to force open the door, revealing her. 

“Wiseman!” she squealed, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. 

“Kagayaki Hikari. I was expecting you” Wiseman said in his deep, gravelly voice. The sound of it made Hikari shiver in fright, though she tried to conceal this as best as possible. “You were?” she asked, quickly reaching for a strand of hair to braid. The strings of hair felt rough between her fingers as she tied them together tightly. 

“Indeed. I knew you were going to try come observe me. Do you not trust me?”.

“Trust you? Uh, yeah i do. You're the prince's advisor after all” Hikari replied, trying to sound as convincing as possible. 

“Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, i need some private contemplation. Take my advice Kagayaki Hikari, you should not intrude where you don't belong” Wiseman threatened, his eyes glowing in contempt.

“Right...sorry” Hikari muttered, slowly backing away. She waited until she was well out of the room before she bolted down the hallway at breakneck speed.  _ He’s a shady liar, i know he is. I just need to catch him in the act _ . She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her brooch, gripping it tightly.  _ I don’t care what Rubeus says, i’m helping Berthier _ . “Stellar Prism Power, Make-Up!” she cried, before being encased by glowing lights, and emerging as Sailor Stellar. She dove into the air before disappearing. 

Berthier was making preparations for the seizing of another sector of Tokyo. This time, she had located an area north-west of the inner city to plant the henge, a meadow with a variety of flowers and vegetation. It was quite a difference from the rest of the urban city, which made it popular for visitors. This spot was also plagued by strange energy due to a spate of multiple instances that had occured on this land in the past. She observed the henge, which had implanted itself in the ground and was beginning to draw power.  _ The crystal henge should be ready to activate soon. Once the energy of the Black Crystal injects itself into the land, we'll have taken another Crystal Point _ .

Sailor Stellar materialised beside her, giving Berthier a fright. “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, startled of the girls spontaneous appearance.

“Aww, Berthier, is that any way to treat a friend?” Stellar grinned widely, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Don’t call me your friend”.

“Hehe, just kidding. So what's your plan on kidnapping the Rabbit?” Stellar asked.

Berthier lifted her chin high in the air and folded her arms. Earlier on, she had taken it upon herself to spy on the Rabbit at her school, and learned some interesting information: it just so happened that the teacher had planned a class trip to this meadow. Smirking, she announced this to Sailor Stellar. “All that has to happen is we get her isolated from everybody else and snatch her away”.

“Little bit convenient isn't it?” she remarked, unimpressed by the plan that was just presented to her.

“I'd call it lucky. It means i don't have to waste time chasing after her” Berthier glared at her, noticing the girls ambivalence to her plan. It wasn’t the greatest plan in the world but she was still proud of herself for it. 

Sailor Stellar shrugged. “Guess it is. When should she be arriving?”.

“From what i heard, it’ll be about 1:30. Half an hour then” Berthier replied.

“We'll have to remain vigilant though, the Sailor Senshi could show up and ruin our plans”.

Blocks away, a procession of children were being lead down the road by a teacher with short black hair. As kids tend to be, these ones were chattering in excitement, eager to reach the meadow for their excursion. Chibiusa was among them, walking alongside her friends Momoko and Kyuusuke. Unbeknownst to the group, Artemis was hidden in her backpack. “Natsuki-sensei, are we there yet?” one of the kids asked in a high pitched whine.

“Nakamoto-san, this is the third time you've asked, and the answer is the same. We'll get there when we get there!” the teacher replied in annoyance.

“But i'm bored! We should have taken a bus there, if we did then we'd already be there” the kid groaned, scrunching up his face into a scowl.

“Nakamoto-san…” Natsuki sighed, facepalming. 

“I don't mind walking, Natsuki-sensei. It's a really lovely day!” Chibiusa piped up, smiling brightly. The complaining kid looked over at her and glared. “Nobody asked you. It's too bright out here, and i'm cold!” he complained. Chibiusa stuck her tongue out in response.

“Nakamoto-san, that's quite enough. If you cause anymore disruptions i will call your mother and send you home” Natsuki shouted, prompting the kid that was complaining to quiet down and sulk. 

Artemis proceeded to poke his head out of Chibiusa’s backpack and tap her on the shoulder. She looked down at the cat and smiled. “Thank you for coming with me today. You're making me less worried about those scary people showing up” she said.

“Chibiusa-chan, Minako put me on watch for a reason. We want to ensure your safety and happiness. No matter what happens, our priority is you” Artemis explained softly, lowering his voice to make sure none of the other kids heard him talking. 

“Who are you talking to, Chibiusa-chan?” Momoko asked.

Artemis quickly retreated back into the depths of the backpack while Chibiusa turned towards her friend, laughing. “Nobody!” she giggled.

The class arrived at the meadow and began to settle. Natsuki had unpacked the long picnic rug and spread it out over the bright green grass. “Alright class, remember the rules: don’t run off and don’t disturb other patrons. Grab your lunches out and have fun!”. Upon saying that, the hoard of kids broke off from each other and scrambled through their bags, eager to begin eating. Chibiusa, Momoko, Kyuusuke and a few other kids sat at the corner of the blanket where the shade was, but just out of sight, Berthier was watching the group. 

“So, The Rabbit has arrived. All that needs to happen now is a distraction” Berthier quipped, before turning to Sailor Stellar. “She's frightened by the sight of our Malefic Black Crystal, so we can use that to our advantage”. She held her hand out and summoned a dark crystalline earring.

Stellar gasped. “Is that-”.

“No, it's a replica. But it should be enough to scare her. When she's alone, you strike while i power the henge” she replied, before striking the henge into the ground, where it floats momentarily before disappearing. 

Nearby, Chibiusa eagerly grabbed her bento from her backpack. “I wonder what Ikuko-mama packed for me!”. Opening the box, she marvelled at the perfectly made gyudon and octodogs on a bed of white rice. Breaking out her chopsticks, she started inhaling the food, smiling. 

“My mum gave me some rye bread sandwiches and onigiri” the blonde girl left of Chibiusa boasted, holding her box forward, trying to show off. “She's definitely the best cook in the city!”.

Momoko scoffed. “Sandwiches and onigiri? That's the easiest thing in the world to make. Look what i got! My mum made this hotpot last night for me” she smirked. 

“Momohara-san, your parents own a restaurant right? They must be really talented chefs” Another kid piped up.

“Not as great as mine though!” the blonde girl laughed, which was met with an eye roll and stuck-out tongue from Momoko.

Chibiusa sighed and turned away from the group, reaching into her backpack for her water bottle. She lifted it out of the bag, but accidentally had something else clip onto the bottle and fall out of the bag. Chibiusa leaned in to inspect the object when her face drained of colour: a Black Crystal earring. She began to shake in fear. “Mommy…”.

“Chibiusa-chan, are you alright?” Momoko asked, noticing her friends distress. Chibiusa screamed and scrambled over to her with tears in her eyes. “Get it away from me!”.

“Chibiusa-chan, what's gotten into you?”. Momoko placed a hand on the girls forehead and felt it damp and drenched in slightly cold sweat. She glanced around for the teacher and upon locating her, waved her over to their location.

“What's going on over here?” Natsuki asked concernedly. 

“Chibiusa-chan started freaking out, and she's really clammy and white” Momoko replied, her voice quiet and small. Natsuki reached for Chibiusa, who was still cowering in Momoko’s arms, softly repeating the same words over and over. “Mommy…”.

“She could be having a fainting spell” Natsuki said, after feeling the girls forehead. She lowered herself and softly smiled at Chibiusa. “How about you lie down, Tsukino-san, and i'll call your Aunt to come get you” she suggested, her voice full of motherly concern. 

Chibiusa nodded in response and Natsuki picked her up, carrying her away to somewhere quiet. The small girl saw colourful dots cloud her vision, her head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton wool. The world was getting darker, quieter...peaceful. Her vision faded to black and she passed out in the teachers arms, who had reached a bench to set the girl down on. Only a few feet away, Sailor Stellar lay in wait, hidden in the shadows of the surrounding shrubbery. She notices that Artemis had trailed along, close behind but still out of sight of the view of the teacher. Stellar watched as the teacher reached for her phone, ready to contact the girls relatives before a piercing shriek disrupted the peace. Natsuki looked towards the area where her students were and without thinking, dashed away leaving Chibiusa alone. 

Stellar steps out of her hiding place and smirks. “Well, that was easier than expected. Demande-sama will be so happy”. She used her powers to levitate Chibiusa’s body off of the bench, before encasing it in a dark bubble, with dark chains locking around it. Stellar smiled deviously before noticing a pain in her left arm. Looking down, she saw Artemis, hanging onto her flesh with his teeth. Stellar glared at him and used her powers to yank him off and carefully place him on the bench, using a piece of ribbon as a leash to keep him bound to the leg of the bench.

“Let go of me you witch!” Artemis cried out.

Stellar leant down and patted him on the head. “You’re a really cute kitty. I love cats. But i have to do this, for the good of the future. Sorry buddy”. And with that, she dived into the air, the bubble containing Chibiusa following her. She returns to Berthier, who was using her powers to inject dark energy into the ever growing henge, creating a pressure that pressed all patrons of the park to the ground.

“You have her?” Berthier questioned. Stellar nodded in response, waving her hand to the bubble. 

“Good. Our dark power will fully infect this area soon, and our influence over the future will increase and the reign of the Black Moon will prevail!”.

Usagi flipped through the channels on the TV, her face conveying the amount of boredom she felt. It was better than being at school though, where she would have to partake in a test and yet again receive a low score. _ I mean, it’s not my fault if i don’t understand the work right? _ Thankfully her mother wasn’t home, meaning she was able to be out in the house instead of hiding in her closet. 

Continuously flicking through mindless entertainment, she stopped upon seeing an urgent newsflash on supernatural activity north of Tokyo. Upon the announcement of the location, Usagi froze.  _ That's the park Chibiusa-chan's class was going on an excursion to today. They must be looking to kidnap her when nobody is around _ . She ran upstairs to grab her school uniform, snatching the brooch clean off her bow and sped downstairs, quickly putting on a pair on slip on shoes before slamming the front door open. “ I hope i'm not too late. Moon Crystal Power, Make-Up!” she cried, transforming.

Once she was suited up, Sailor Moon reached for her communicator and flipped the lid open. She pressed the large crescent button in the middle, hoping someone would pick up. Thankfully, Minako answered quickly. 

“Minako-chan! Something terrible has happened!” Usagi exclaimed. 

“Artemis already contacted me. Chibiusa's gone! Stellar has taken her!”.

Her eyes started to water, and she practically screamed “I'm on my way there now, please contact the others and hurry!”. She cut the line and held her hand in the air and shouted “Sailor Teleport!”. Within an instant, she materialised in front of the henge, twice the size it had been only minutes earlier when she saw it on TV. An array of unconscious people were sprawled across the ground , with Sailor Stellar and Berthier standing guard under a large bubble, which had been chained to two large rock formations.

“Where’s Chibiusa?” Moon growled, gripping her fist tightly.

“The Rabbit you mean?” Berthier laughs. “Doesn't it seem obvious enough, you inept twat?” she said, waving her hand to the bubble above them. Moon looks up and gasps, realising what Berthier had meant. “Let her go now!” she shouted.

“And why would we do that? We need her in order to accomplish our goals”.

“To hell with your goals! Moon Tiara Boomerang!” she cries angrily, reaching for her tiara and transforming it into a disc, which she flung at the woman. Sailor Stellar however, dove in front of Berthier and used her sword to deflect the tiara, which had come to rest on the ground below. 

Moon stared at her with wide eyes, gritting her teeth in anger. How could they just hurt innocent people so thoughtlessly, and chase after a small child? It was maddening, insane, and psychopathic. She felt herself slip to the edge of her sanity. They had Chibiusa and were going to take her away, kill her or possibly worse. She couldn’t let that happen, she just couldn’t. “Why are you working for them? You have such great power, amazing skills, why are you using it to protect them? These people aim for the destruction of society, the world as we know it! Why are you aiding in that?” Moon shrieked, glaring at the girl with a cold unforgiving stare.

Stellar stared back at her angrily, before swiftly walking forward, sword by her side. “You're wrong. They're not bad people, or terrorists, or whatever you want to call them. The Black Moon seeks for the reformation of the world. We may act aggressive, but not without reason. Open your eyes Sailor Moon! You're perception of the Black Moon Clan is entirely wrong! There's an entity working above, puppeteering actions. They're the true mastermind” she says, fiercely advancing on Sailor Moon until she was two feet in front of the girl, staring her down. 

Berthier, confused at Stellar’s words, muttered “A puppeteer?”.

“It seems we'll have our differences. These people want to destroy the planet i call home, and i won't let that happen!” Moon said, summoning her Cutie Moon Rod. “Moon Princess Halation!”.

Sailor Stellar summoned a large disc-shaped shield to cover her. “Dark Moon Shield!”. The attack deflects onto Moon, who just barely dodges in time.

“Crescent Slender Beam!” a voice cried out, firing a piercing light beam towards Berthier, who was struck across the wrist. Sailor Moon turned to see her teammates, standing proudly behind her. “Everyone! Your here!” she exclaimed. 

Berthier and Stellar glared at the new arrivals, the former rubbing her wrist to try to distract from the pain. “So, the rest have arrived” Berthier remarked in her sugarcoated voice.

“We are not letting you get away with this Stellar. We know about your Black Crystal” Sailor Jupiter threatened.

“Everyone, Chibiusa-chan is being held in that bubble”.

“I'll free her, the rest of you work on destroying the henge!” Sailor Mars declared, dashing forward towards the bubble before being stopped by Berthier. “You have no chance at getting the Rabbit, she's ours now!” she cackled, raising her hand to her chin.

“No she's not! Now get out of my way” Mars growled, her hands beginning to burn bright with fire. The embers slowly engulfed the entire girls body before crossing her arms and screaming, releasing her power. Berthier began to feel burns on her skin as she was blasted back into the henge, hitting her head, concussing herself temporarily.

“Berthier!” Stellar cried out, before turning to Mars in fury. “Starlight Diamond!” she screamed, firing her dazzling ray of diamonds at her opponent. To her dismay, Sailor Mars simply flips into the air and fires her Burning Mandala attack. She tries to dodge but ends up with a graze on her knee. Incensed, Stellar fired a star disc at the Sailor Soldiers, hitting Jupiter on the ankle. The girl shrieked in pain and fell to the ground in shock. Venus grabbed her beaded chain and fired at Stellar, who countered the attack with a flick of her wrist. “Shadow Ribbon” she whispered, firing a dark translucent ribbon towards Venus that captured her, and tied her down. 

“Sailor Venus!” Moon shouts, readying her sceptre to free her friend.

“It’s fine, this is nothing to me” she replies, using her light powers to break free.

Mercury proceeds to help Jupiter up and they stand together, ready to advance on Berthier and Stellar. “Five against one Stellar, just give up now” Jupiter calls out. 

Sailor Stellar grinds her teeth and scowled at the group. “You’re annoying” she mutters, before rushing forward and vanishing. The Sailor Soldiers look around, confused as to where she’s gone before hearing a cry of pain. The girls look down and look at Stellar, who had appeared behind them and slashed Jupiter’s arm. 

“Jupiter!”.

“You monster!” Mercury wailed, gripping Jupiter tightly next to her. 

“You're all too late. Our dark power has filled the area, rendering the henge unstoppable!” Berthier says, stepping forward victoriously. The five soldiers look at her with expressions varying between distress and hopelessness. Moon’s face fell, her grip on the sceptre loosening. She looks up and raises her sceptre. A bright light begins to emit from it, filling up the entire area, blinding anybody who dared look at it. She began to levitate, and with a graceful spin, her tiara begins to disappear, revealing a crescent moon symbol on her forehead that begins to light up. Aiming her sceptre forward, Sailor Moon directs a powerful beam of magic towards the henge, which smashes it apart, as well as destroying the other one in Tokyo. 

“What is that power?” Berthier murmured.

“The Legendary Silver Crystal…” Stellar whispers, in awe of the might of Moon’s power. The first time she had ever seen the magic of the Silver Crystal up close, and it was extraordinary.

Moon glances towards the bubble encasing Chibiusa and waves her wand slowly. The chains on the bubble begin to loosen and fall, the bubble cracking and disintegrating into a million pieces, leaving a sleeping Chibiusa to float gently into Sailor Venus’ arms. Sighing, the crescent moon symbol disappears and Sailor Moon falls to the ground, fainting. Her friends rush to her aid, checking to see if she’s alright. “Everyone, it’s ok, she’s just used too much of her power. She needs to rest” Mercury says, disabling her goggles.

Suddenly, the group is met with a chilling presence in the form of a man levitating above them. Everyone looks up, mostly in fear or curiosity. “Rubeus-sama…” Berthier mumbled.

“Save the excuses. It seems i'll have to take care of this problem myself” he snarled, before emitting a powerful force that knocks the Sailor Soldiers to the ground. 

“Who are you?” Sailor Mars screams, to which she gets a snicker in response.

“I am Crimson Rubeus of the Black Moon Clan. Heed this warning of mine, it would be wise of you to stop interfering with our plans, otherwise you'll end up torn to pieces” he chortles, before vanishing into the sky above. Sailor Stellar and Berthier quickly follow suit, leaving the Sailor Soldiers confused and exhausted below. 


	7. Act 7 - Usagi, Capture

In the entrance hall of Dark Moon Castle, Berthier and Sailor Stellar arrived, disheveled and miserable. Holding her hands to her chest, Stella quickly depowered into her civilian form before wandering over to one of the armchairs lining the hall. Berthier followed on and, annoyed at their defeat, held her hands to her forehead. 

“That power...how was she able to destroy those henges so easily? They should have been so firmly implanted that no magic could be used against them” she grumbled, leaning forward.

“She has the Legendary Silver Crystal, that's how” Hikari replied, almost whispering. Berthier stared at her in utter disbelief. “The Legendary Silver Crystal?! But...how?” She questioned. The most powerful artefact in the universe, the very foundation of Crystal Tokyo itself, the stone that had almost got her killed, was held by Sailor Moon? She almost couldn’t believe it.

Hikari observed the woman’s confused face, and chuckled. “I'm surprised you haven't figured out the resemblance”.

_ Resemblance? _ Berthier pondered. The crystal was held by Neo-Queen Serenity in the future, and as far as she knew, only members of the White Moon dynasty could wield it. However, Sailor Moon was in possession of it. Now that she thought about it, the queen and Sailor Moon did look very similar….

Everything suddenly made sense. Berthier’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth in shock. “Oh my god...she’s Neo-Queen Serenity!”. Looking over at Hikari for confirmation, her suspicions were confirmed with a simple nod. 

“It all makes sense. This is why we've always been defeated! That girl has had the power of the crystal on her side”. Turning to Hikari, she added “You know what this means, right?”.

Hikari’s face had clouded over, her eyes distant and cold. Slowly, she raised her head to meet Berthier’s gaze, revealing her sullen expression. “We need to kill her”.

Taken aback by this, Berthier furrowed her brows at the girl and crossed her arms. “No, i was thinking more so seize the Silver Crystal by force. We need her alive, or else the Rabbit and Crystal Tokyo will cease to exist and this will be all for naught” she countered, eying her companion suspiciously. “Why are you so sad about that? I thought that's what you were aiming to do all along?”.

The events of the past few weeks flashed across Hikari’s mind, most prominently of her first meeting with Sailor Moon.   _ “I have a mission and I intend to fulfil it. If you get in the way I will be forced to kill you”. _

_ “But we’re both Sailor Soldiers! Surely we can understand each other?” Sailor Moon cried. _

_ “You think wrong Moon Princess. We aren’t the same”. Without warning, she charged forward and swiped her sword, directly aiming for her heart. Sailor Moon realized quickly enough what was happening and managed to dodge.  _ Hikari hung her head in shame.  _ Berthier is right. That very day, when i looked at Moon, all i had was murder on my mind. I thought if i got rid of her, then everything would be immediately fixed...and then maybe Demande-senpai would never realise…. _

“Maybe. I don't know. I guess i was jealous in a way, of her, and how beloved she is. I don't really want to kill her, but i guess i have no choice” she mumbled, again barely audible. What she said wasn’t exactly a lie, she was jealous, but for entirely different reasons. But why would she reveal this weakness and make her look pathetic? It was better to just lie and maintain an image of stoicism in this moment. Shaking her head, she gripped her brooch tightly and raised her head high. “Alright, you know what? Forget the henges. Just get the kid. No matter the cost” Hikari proclaimed.

“I agree. Wiseman says that she'll be the most important key if we're to take Crystal Tokyo” Berthier chimed in, nodding in agreement. She no longer eyed Hikari suspiciously but still had doubts about what she said, believing something else to be the motive behind wanting Sailor Moon gone. She wouldn’t know it yet, but she was correct.

“We'll still implant henges, but we'll do it in two separate locations. Throw them off a bit”.

“I'll inform Prince Demande of these new developments. What locations were you thinking of?” Berthier asked. To this, Hikari winced slightly. She had put thought into these two locations and had wanted to push them forward for awhile now, but never did for fear of coming off as insensitive. These places did indeed hold extreme amounts of dark energy due to their horrific pasts or infamy. However, one of the places attributed to a part of Hikari’s history, a part she’d rather not remember. 

Clearing her throat, she announced her ideas. “Aokigahara forest. And a home in Ayase, Tokyo. Both have significant amounts of dark energy attached to it”. She paused before continuing. “Are you going to tell him about Neo-Queen Serenity?”.

“Yes, why? Is that a problem?”.

“No, no. Just wondering” Hikari muttered. Berthier squinted at her before shrugging and leaving. 

Sighing, Hikari reached for her phone and pulled up her messages tab. Somehow, she’s still able to get credit on another planet. Whatever, she wasn’t about to complain. Hikari started a new group message to both Kiyomi and Kukki, hoping they’d both see it and respond soon.

**H: I need to see both of you, as soon as possible. Something big is coming up.**

Placing her phone in her pocket, she proceeded to walk back to her room and seat herself at her desk. Opening her laptop, she scrolled through her saved playlist trying to find something to listen to. Hikari ended up settling on  _ Blank Space  _ by Taylor Swift. Leaning back in her chair, she tried to decompress from the tough battle she just fought but found herself struggling to keep her eyes open. 

After the battle, Usagi made it her first priority to take Makoto to the emergency room. Thankfully the wait wasn’t long and a doctor was around to check on her. The rest of the girls were instructed to wait in the foyer, until a nurse came out to let them know of Makoto’s condition. 

“The cut didn't hit an artery, thankfully, and we'll be able to stitch up your friend in a day” The nurse informed the girls, before asking “How did she get the injury?”. 

“Evil bitch trying to kill her” Rei mumbled under her breath.

“Broken glass” Ami lied to the nurse, who seemed satisfied with this explanation and left to attend to other patients. The group sat in silence, the atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife. Minako was the first to break it, and used the opportunity to address the elephant in the room. “Alright, i'll be the first one to say it. It should pretty much be confirmed now that Sailor Stellar is evil” she said.

Ami nodded. “I agree. She has murder on her mind. Look what she did to Mako-chan”.

“This was what i was trying to tell you guys…” Rei said, frustrated. Why were they only now realising the truth when they vetoed any semblance of it before? She looked at Usagi, expecting her to come out yet again and make excuses for the girl but surprisingly saw her with determination and courage in her eyes. She was sad, but there was a sense of seriousness and duty there. It came as a surprise to all of them when she proclaimed loudly that they would need to put an end to Sailor Stellar. No more passes, as she put it, just stop her from achieving world annihilation.

On the other side of Azabu-Juuban, Kiyomi was lounging on a beaten up lounge chair, wrapped in a blanket. Her phone was at only 39% charge but she was still using it, mostly to flick through old photos of her family. She smiled sadly upon seeing one of her and her older sister Momoko sticking out their tongues and laughing. Swiping left, she saw one of her and her mother out eating ice-cream. As much as she wanted to help Hikari, she missed certain things about the Real World. Old friends, classmates, and most of all, family. Remembering what Guardian Cosmos had done to people’s memories of Hikari, the realisation dawned on her that the same had probably happened with her. Her dear older sister would have no memory of her, nobody would.

_ Will i ever be able to return?  _ Kiyomi wondered.  _ After i’ve helped Hikari and fulfilled my destiny or whatever, i want to go back. I can’t stay here forever, away from all i’ve known and loved.  _

Her thoughts were interrupted by a buzz from her phone. Looking down, she noticed a message from Hikari had appeared on her screen. Tapping on it, she reads the message and frowns.

“Hakirui-san?”.

She glances up to notice her roommate Hayato returning with boxes of food in his arms. He was looking slightly less dishevelled nowadays as he had begun getting assistance from an organisation helping him to find a job, but still had to rely on the bunker for shelter. Kiyomi was grateful of his generosity in letting her stay and true to his word, the place wasn't that bad. It was warm at least.

“Is something wrong?” Hayato asked, setting his inventory aside.

Sighing, Kiyomi responded meekly. “It's not much, Hinata-san, but my friend sent me an ominous sounding text. I'm worried what this might mean”. 

“How so? Are you two very close?”.

“We are, but lately i've been feeling disconnected from her. It's like there's something she's hiding from me. I don't want to believe she's lying to me, but…” she replied.

“Hakirui-san, do you trust her?” Hayato asked.

Kiyomi paused. Did she actually trust Hikari? “...I think so…”.

“Is there any reason you have to not trust her?”.

Kiyomi leaned further into the chair, trying to figure a way to put what she was thinking into words. Does she trust Hikari? Yes, mostly. But does she trust the clan? Not in a million years. “She's just involved with some people, who i still don't know how to feel about. Hikari-chan assures me it's fine and i have nothing to worry about. I believe her when she says she's doing this for good, i'm just not sure i trust...them”.

“If you trust her, you should let her make her own decisions. If she believes these people are alright, then trust her instinct. You have every right to be cautious, and you still can be, but put faith in her judgement of character” Hayato advised, slowly shelving the boxes and their contents into small crevices in the wall. 

Streets away, Mamoru was looking for drawers, trying hard to find the box where he kept his mystical stones. It had been awhile since he last communed with his former generals, but this was a time of need, and he realised that he desperately needed guidance. Thankfully, he happened upon them in the drawer under his bed, encased in glass just as he left them. Taking the box out, he walked over to his living room and sat down on his couch, opening the lid of the glass container. Closing his eyes, he dipped down to the core of his powers and called them forth. Four ghostly figures had materialised  out of the stones, kneeling before him. “Master Endymion…” Kunzite said.

“Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite...i have a bad premonition. The movements of the enemy are happening quicker, and bigger than we had anticipated. They're attempting to obtain something” he explained, glancing over at the earring sample Luna and Artemis had entrusted him with. “That stone emits such powerful energy, i can tell it's capable of warping space and time. Is that because they came from a different space-time from us?”.

“That we cannot answer. However, we sense danger as do you” Zoisite replied. 

“Master, we pledge our strength in your support. You must use your powers to protect the princess” Kunzite added, bowing his head in respect.

Mamoru frowned. “She has four guardians to protect her. Compared to them, i'm next to nothing”.

“You mustn't falter. Something bad will happen to Princess Serenity if you do” Nephrite cautioned.

“Master, we believe in your power. The fact that you were reborn along with her guardian deities means the Princess has started down a path, to become Queen, and you her King. Please do not forget that. You must stay strong, so she can rely on you at all times” Kunzite affirmed. The generals knelt once again before they vanished back into the gemstones.

Hikari wakes up, feeling dazed. She had no idea how long she’d fallen asleep for, though she doubted it was more than a couple of minutes. Anyway, it didn’t matter because she was tired as fuck and needed some proper rest. But it wouldn’t be smart to rest, not when she could be gathering evidence to expose Wiseman’s treachery. 

Groaning, she turns off the music and steps off the chair, before embarking on her mission to find Wiseman and expose him. Finding him this time round was easy - he was in the exact same place she had found him last time. Hiding behind the door, hey eyes widen as she observes Wiseman, surrounded by blue flames and flashing lights. 

“O nothingness, o silence. Obey me. Herald me” his voice booms as he grasps the flame above him. Gasping, Hikari quickly grabs out her phone and presses record on her camera, eager to catch his crazed ramblings.

“Swear your allegiance to the  all-knowing, almighty Death Phantom. Know that the one who will rule this universe is not Demande, who dreams an ephemeral dream, but Death Phantom, who possesses absolute power. The Rabbit, my herald of darkness she shall become, will assist in bringing about eternal corruption of the universe” he continues, lights dazzling around him. He laughs, his deep, corrupted voice chilling Hikari to her bones. “Ah, foolish Prince Demande. Create a disturbance for the sake of silence and present chaotic nothingness to my hands, to Death Phantom, the supreme ruler of this world. Eradicate the impurity of life in the universe and leave nothing but emptiness in its wake”. 

Beads of sweat began to form across Hikari’s forehead as she squeezed her phone tightly, backing away slightly from the door.  _ Impurity of life....herald of darkness…this is not good. I need to tell somebody about this, quick! _

Wiseman suddenly stopped monologuing, casting an eerie silence over the room. Without warning, he turned to where Hikari was standing, eyes glowing fiercely. Thankfully, Hikari had backed away enough so that she was out of sight. “Who’s there?” his voice boomed. Hikari held her breath and prayed he wouldn’t discover her there. For what felt like forever she froze, scared to move lest he caught her. Once she felt it was safe, Hikari slowly crept away from the door, continuing until she reached a corner before bolting at breakneck speed.  _ There it is: proof of his treachery, and i have evidence on camera. Now, i just need someone to believe me!  _ She looked at her phone and hit the button to stop recording, before slipping it in her pocket. She intended to find Saphir, as from her memory he was the least trusting of Wiseman out of the group. 

By the time Hikari had reached his lab, she gasped for air and grasped for a pillar on the world. She pushed open the door, praying that Saphir was there. Luckily, as soon as the door opened, she could see him working on a new droid. 

“Saphir! Something's wrong, horribly wrong” she panted, stumbling into the room.

Saphir looked up at the girl, his eyes tired and weary. “Is it really that urgent, or can it wait?”.

Hikari thrust the phone at him, open to the video she just recorded. “Wiseman is not what he seems. He's really an entity called Death Phantom, and he's only using Demande for his own gain. He plans to do away with all of you once he converts the Rabbit! If you don't believe me, then watch this. I have proof!” she cried. Saphir raised his eyebrows, but without a single word took the phone from her hands and pressed play. He stared down intensely, his face turning into a visible scowl. The video had soon ended and he handed the phone back, his grip firm. 

“I knew it, i knew that he wasn't to be trusted. Demande would never listen to me, always wrote it off as a conspiracy made up by my paranoia” Saphir growled. 

“We have to try to tell him! Or else everybody here will die!”.

“He's never listened to me in the past, what makes you think he'll listen to you? Demande is drunk on his lust for change and power, and Wiseman's manipulated him so much that he can't see reason” he grumbled, crossing his arms in frustration. 

Hikari grabbed at his arms frantically. “But you'll all die if we don't do something!”.

Saphir remained silent before stroking his hand through his hair, and sighing. “We can try warn the others, make them aware of this new information. What we'll do about my brother...i'm honestly not sure”. 

Hikari’s face fell. Her eyes were glazed over, her face cold with tears threatening her eyes. “There must be some way to get him away from Wiseman's influence. I could still show him the video, maybe that will…” she mumbled before seeing Saphir shake his head.

“It'll foster doubt, yes, but at this point i fear that Wiseman has such a tight grip on him that he'd find a way to believe you're lying. Then you'll lose your life, falling into Wiseman's plan perfectly”. 

“I thought you didn't care what happened to me?” Hikari said, raising her eyebrows.

“Look, i was skeptical at first. But i can see you truly do care about this clan and it's success, and your care for my brother. Hikari-san, you're the only reason that the Sailor Soldiers haven't annihilated us already” he admitted, albeit his voice remaining cold and stoic. Hikari smiled weakly in response and whispered “Thank you”. 

“We should go along with the attack plan as usual today in order to avoid arousing suspicion”. Saphir paused before continuing, his face beginning to become clouded with worry.”I really don't like what he said about the Rabbit becoming his herald of darkness. That must be why he's so insistent on kidnapping her”. 

“It's because he plans to transform her into a weapon. No matter what, we must stop that from happening” Hikari asserted confidently. She remembered it all clearly what happened when she read the series, how small sweet little Chibiusa was turned into a weapon of darkness by the nefarious Wiseman. Her transformation always signalled the beginning of the end, and no matter what, she would not let the end come around.

“What about the Silver Crystal then?” Saphir asked, interrupting her thoughts. Hikari simply waved her hand in response and shook her head. “Forget about it. From the start, my priority has been to protect your clan from both Wiseman and the Sailor Soldiers. It's never been about seizing crystal points or implanting dark energy” she confessed.

Saphir was taken aback by this, and looked down at the young girl curiously.  _ This girl cares so much about our survival. Why is she like this? _ He squinted at her, trying to figure out exactly what she was planning or if she was genuine. Something told him that she was in fact.

There was something else that was bothering him too. For awhile, something had been sitting at the back of his mind, something that Koan had said a while back. She had told him and Demande that Hikari was from an alternate reality, a place she called “the real world”. No magic existed in this place, no Sailor Soldiers or Legendary Silver Crystals. Being interested in the existence of alternate universes for a long time, Saphir was flummoxed at the possibility of someone from such a world being here. He was also disturbed that apparently, in this world, they were fictional characters who lived to die. People read about them and rooted against them.

Finally, he spoke up. “Koan mentioned something, awhile ago. She said if things had gone as they were supposed to, we would all be dead and Crystal Tokyo thriving” he mentioned, staring down the girl below her.

Hikari nodded solemnly. “Reading what happened to you, i've always felt that you had all been short changed. People trying to do good, but were swayed by an evil beyond this world and ultimately succumbed to destruction by the Silver Crystal” she explained, before turning to him hopefully. ”Before Wiseman appeared, what were the plans for Crystal Tokyo?”.

Saphir sighed, before revealing “We wanted to stop the longevity mandated by the Queen. It's unnatural and adverse to our evolution; there's a reason we have mortality. It may hurt once a loved one passes on, but it's how it is. Neo-Queen Serenity disrupted this. She brought the way of life from the ancient Moon Kingdom and forced it on the people of Earth. Suddenly, everyone's life was expanded and the Earth was made vain and lazy by promises of eternal life and paradise”.

“Did you oppose the monarchy in general?”.

“In a way. I've always preferred a democracy to absolute monarchy. But it wasn't simply about politics, only about ethics. We just wanted Neo-Queen Serenity to see that not everybody was happy with the life they had been forced into, until Wiseman showed up. Now, things have become so twisted that we've destroyed Crystal Tokyo due to vengeance. The Queen would be right to slap the terrorist label on us now”. Saphir stopped before groaning in frustration. 

“I won't let her. I won't let her do that” she said confidently. 

“I appreciate the courage, but it's an almost impossible feat. You should be getting on with today’s mission” he said, handing her a vial. “This vial contains a pair of droids i've been working on, pretty much completed at this point. They should prove useful to you”.

Hikari thanked Saphir before leaving his lab, grabbing her phone out to quickly text Kiyomi and Kukki, telling them that there might be a battle later and to be prepared. She raised her head, and called out “BERTHIER!” into the hall. Before she knew it, Berthier had materialised in front of her. 

“I'm here, you don't have to yell” she scowled. 

“I'm ready for the plan. Have you got the henges?” Hikari asked. Berthier proceeded to summon two crystalline henges, a smug look forming on her face. 

“Good. Saphir gave me this as well, he says it contains two Droids which could prove useful”. Hikari opened the vial and poured it’s contents onto the floor, from which two men began to form. The two were almost identical in appearance, save for their skin and hair colour differing. “We're the Boule Brothers, Achiral and Chiral, here to serve you” they announced, bowing low. 

“Both of you will accompany us and guard the henges. Hinder the Sailor Soldiers at every turn” she commanded. Both men nodded and muttered as you wish before disappearing. 

“There is one more thing i must tell you. Rubeus has insisted on joining us” Berthier added.

Hikari frowned. “Why? Does he not trust me?”.

“Not really”.

“Well, this is gonna be awkward” Hikari groaned, staring up into the ceiling. “Berthier, there is something i really need to tell you. It's about Wiseman”.

“Hmm? What about him?”.

Hikari pulled her phone out and opened up her photos. “It's better if i just show it to you” she said, handing over the device to Berthier. She clicked play and watched the video run through, her eyes widening before squinting in fury. “Wiseman...that traitor…” she hissed. 

“You can't trust him anymore. He plans to eliminate us all and use the Rabbit as the bringer of darkness. Tell as many people as you can, but please make sure neither Demande nor Wiseman himself find out” Hikari said, taking the phone back. 

“Wouldn't you want Prince Demande to know?”.

“He's stubborn, and under Wiseman's powerful influence. It would be no use unless we could show him for sure that none of his associates trust the guy” Hikari said, crossing her arms.

“I see what you mean” Berthier replied, staring at the floor. “Rubeus has agreed to meet us at Aokigahara. As soon as i can find the right time, i'll tell him. I'm not sure how he'll take it”. She looked at the girl intensely, questions coming to her mind. “What makes you care so much anyway?”.

“Compassion, understanding. I get where you're all coming from. I'm against evil, but you guys aren't evil” Hikari replied, before grabbing onto Berthier’s hand. She grins at the girl before the both of them teleport away, materialising in the middle of a sea of trees.

Berthier summons one of the henges and pirouettes, smashing it into the foliage below.  She then turns to Achiral, who was already waiting beneath one of the trees. “Achiral, go implant this henge in Ayase” she ordered. Achiral nodded in compliance and vanished. Berthier turned towards Hikari. “Are any of your friends showing up?”.

“Sailor Galaxy ought to. Sailor Cookie, hopefully” she replied.

“In any case, i hope one of them appears soon. I have a feeling some certain pests are going to arrive in no time at all”.

It was late afternoon at Hikawa Shrine,and Rei was busy cleaning the grounds. The last of the days visitors had left, and the shrine was ready to close soon. Most of her chores had already been completed, leaving raking fallen leaves as the last on her list. Ami was curled up under a tree nearby, reading a book intensely. Ami’s mind had started to wander off from the book she was reading, and onto other matters. Sailor Stellar, her plans, and what she intended to do. She had already hospitalised Makoto and injured Rei in the past, so who knew what she’d try to do next. She remembered all those times Stellar had struck her sword towards Usagi, bloodlust in her eyes. Would there ever be a time where they wouldn’t have their Moon Princess?

“Rei-chan, do you get the feeling that something bad is gonna happen to Usagi-chan?” she piped up. Rei ceased raking and looked at her friend in concern. “I haven't been wanting to say it, but yes, i have felt that way”.

“I don't trust what the Black Moon is up to, or what Sailor Stellar is planning. Do you think...they'll…” Ami stammered. 

Rei dropped her rake and walked over, placing herself next to Ami. She squeezed the girls hand in solidarity. “Ami-chan, us feeling this way just gives us more spirit to protect Usagi-chan. We laid our lives down for her in the past, and we won't hesitate to do it again. As long as she's safe...then that's all that matters” she affirmed, standing up and offering her hand. “Come on inside, i'll get Grandpa to boil us some tea”. 

Ami took her hand graciously and both girls walked towards the shrine before the dreaded sound of their communicators went off. Both girls groaned before opening them up. “Ami-chan? Rei-chan? There's trouble. We've received reports of concentrated dark energy being emitted from Aokigahara forest. It must mean the enemy is there!” Luna cried, her voice being marred by static. 

“Aokigahara?!”.

“That's so far away. We'll have to use the Sailor Teleport in order to get there” Rei said. “Will the others meet us there?”.

“Yes, i'll contact them once this call-” Luna replied, her voice being cut out by another presence on the line. 

“Luna! There's another henge, this time at a house in Ayase, Adachi” Artemis yelled.

“Another one?!” Luna gasped.

“We'll have to split up” Ami decreed. She waved her hand, signalling Rei to come over to her. “We'll go to the henge in Aokigahara”.

Both girls pull out their Star Power Sticks and hold them up high, shouting their respective transformation phrases. A bright flash of dazzling lights covered them, suddenly dispersing to reveal both girls in their Sailor Soldier outfits. Sailor Mercury grabbed onto Sailor Mars’ hand and both of them closed their eyes, reaching for their planetary powers. The gems on their tiaras started to glow as they were surrounded by a powerful aura.  

“Mercury Star Power!”

“Mars Star Power!”

“Sailor Teleport!” Both of them cried before vanishing, and in an instant both girls had arrived at Aokigahara forest. Opening their eyes, they launched into their trademark catchphrases, ready to fight.

“Stop right there villains!” Mars exclaimed.

“Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars are here to stop-” Mercury announced before realising that nobody was actually there. The henge appeared to be left unguarded. 

“There’s nobody here?”. Mars was utterly perplexed.  _ Why would they just leave the henge unguarded? Something doesn’t feel right.  _ She advanced forward cautiously, expecting some sort of trap to spring out of nowhere. To her surprise nothing happened. Turning to Mercury, she indicated it was safe to come forward. “We must remain vigilant. Just because we haven’t encountered anyone here, doesn’t mean there isn’t a trap waiting for us somewhere around the henge” she cautioned. 

“How are we going to destroy it without Sailor Moon?” Mercury asked. 

“We’ll have to put everything we’ve got into one attack” Mars replied, raising her hand to summon her fire. “Fire-”.

Her attack was cut off by a tall man appearing in front of her and striking her, quickly dodging. “So i was right, there was someone here after all” she muttered. Stepping forward, Mars raised her hands in defiance and pointed at the man. “Whoever you are, you'll cower before the fire of Mars!” she yelled, firing a beam of fire at the man. He simply smirked and teleported to the side of the henge in response.

Suddenly, a large echoing voice began to ring through the air. “If you think you'll be able to defeat Achiral that easily, you'd be sorely mistaken” Sailor Stellar laughed.

“Show yourself Stellar! Come out and fight us!” Mercury challenged. Granting her request, Sailor Stellar made herself known, appearing floating mid air along with Rubeus. Stellar continued laughing, an evil smile painted across her face.“You know me so well that you can instantly recognise my voice. I'm flattered” she taunted. 

“Don't be for too long. The terror of the Black Moon ends here. Shine Snow Illusion!” Sailor Mercury cried out, releasing multiple rays of snowflakes and ice towards her, Stellar summoning her Black Moon Shield in order to be protected from the blast. Lowering her shield, she held her fingers together and yelled “Double Eclipse Ray!”, firing a double blast of starlight energy at Mercury.  Sailor Mercury was struck by her attack and was pummeled into a nearby log. 

“You Sailor Soldiers are so pathetic. The Black Moon Clan will reign supreme, destroying the damage the people of the White Moon have inflicted on Earth”  Rubeus cackled, firing a ball of dark energy at Sailor Mars.

Mars dove out of the way and flipped onto the ground. Kneeling down, she aimed her hand towards the henge and looked up at Rubeus with disgust in her eyes.“You're delusional. The White Moon family are pure of heart, they would never bring calamity to Earth. You guys on the other hand....Burning Mandala!” she screamed, firing her flames towards the henge. Sailor Stellar notices this and called out for Achiral to protect the henge. Achiral follows, firing dark energy towards Mars. Both attacks collide, releasing large amounts of dark flames. Achiral teleports, leaving Mars to face the full bront. She screamed as the flames scorched her skin, cutting into her flesh like a dagger. Mercury rushed over and fired her Shine Aqua Illusion attack to extinguish the flames. 

Stellar rolled her eyes in annoyance, before twirling and raising one arm in the air. In her hand, a bright star appeared. Stellar continued to twirl while the star disintegrated into bright gold dust, before she held her hands out towards Sailor Mars and shouted “Stardust Shower!”. 

“Mars!” Sailor Mercury called out, rushing forward and summoning an orb to encase them. “Hyperspatial Sphere Generate!”.

They were both protected from Stellar’s attack, much to her annoyance. She proceeded to fire multiple beams of light at the shield as Mercury struggled to keep it up. 

“It's no use, we can't get to the henge with all three of them in the way. We need Sailor Moon!”.

Meanwhile in Ayase, Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon were battling against Chiral and Berthier for access to the henge. Venus fired her Crescent Boomerang at Berthier, which the woman simply dodged and released a wave of dark water towards her. Venus dove backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack but instead hitting herself against the outer gate of the house.

Moon reached for her tiara and glared at the pair of them. “Moon Tiara Boomerang!” she screamed, throwing her tiara at them. 

The tiara slashes Chiral across the arm, causing him to shriek out in pain. Berthier stepped forward and fired her Dark Water attack. Venus managed to dodge, but Moon wasn’t so lucky as the attack caught her off guard. She was hit it the waist and sent flying onto the balcony.

Sailor Venus stepped forward and summoned a heart in her hands, before sending it speeding towards Chiral and Berthier. “Rolling Heart Vibration!”.

Her attack ended up incapacitating Berthier, which is exactly what she was hoping for. Moon dives from the balcony and holds her sceptre forward, preparing to finish this once and for all. “Moon Princess-”.

“Stop!”.

A pink ray fires out of nowhere, knocking the sceptre out of her hands. Moon gasps and quickly sticks her landing to avoid diving face first into concrete. Looking up, she saw Sailor Cookie standing before them, holding her hands out defensively. 

“Sailor Cookie?!” Venus blinked.

“I'm sorry guys, Stellar asked me to do this. I don't know why, but i trust her” she says, her voice faltering. Closing her eyes, she cried “Sugar Pink Vortex!” and fired rays of sparkling pink beams at both girls. 

“Sailor Cookie, no!” Venus shouted. She ran forward, grabbing the chain around her waist and releasing it, throwing it forward towards Cookie. “Why side with someone as cold and heartless as Sailor Stellar?” she asked desperately. Cookie used a wave of pink hearts to deflect the chain and protect herself. “She promised me this is for the good of the future, for all of us” Cookie replied, stuttering slightly. 

“She's lying! Stellar only wants chaos and anarchy. If you let her continue she'll destroy your home too” Sailor Venus continued, reeling her chain back in and grasping it firmly in her hands.

Sailor Cookie ceased her fire and looked at Venus, doubt beginning to show in her eyes. “My...home?”.

Moon stepped forward, her sceptre in hand and her face serious. “Yes, you're home. Your friends, your family. What Stellar is doing could destroy them all!” she proclaimed. 

Cookie’s eyes widened as she collapsed to the ground, her hands gripped tightly onto her forearms. Suddenly, her head jerked up to face Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon. Doubt clouded her face like a rainy day, confusion crossing her hazel eyes. “Stellar wouldn't do that...she's a good person. Please, i promise!” she pleaded.

Venus shook her head in disappointment. “Cookie, you've been lead on by a psycho. You have a good heart, but you need to be on the right side. Help us fight against the Black Moon”. 

Silence fell upon the group for a few moments as Sailor Cookie considered what Venus had proposed. Was it true? Was Sailor Stellar a bad person? Would she cause the destruction of her future. Images flashed across her mind, of her family, her old friends at Juuban Junior High, of her idol Sailor Pluto.  _ If what they’re saying is true, Stellar will destroy them all.  _ Suddenly, the words Hikari had said to her on their first meeting. “ _ We both have good intentions, but not common goals _ ”. What was she to believe?

“I'll...alright, i'll think about it. I don't know what to trust right now” Cookie whispered, finally mustering the courage to deliver her half decent reply. 

Sailor Venus’ face softened as she walked towards the girl before crouching down to her level and placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Her aura was warm, almost sisterly in a way. “That's ok. You've been pulled into the past, not knowing what to do, with new powers on top of that” she assured. Venus looked up at Moon and dictated to her. “Sailor Moon,  use your powers to disintegrate the henge”.

“Right! Moon Princess-” Sailor Moon cried, raising her Cutie Moon Rod in the air, but before she knew it, the rod was snatched from her hands and a hand struck across her cheek. She winced in pain, stumbling backwards into Venus. 

“Sailor Moon! Are you alright?” Venus fretted, grasping her friend in her arms. Looking up, she saw Chiral a few steps away, rod in hand and his face painted with what could only be described as the devil’s grin. Her hair began to stand on end as she stared at him, incensed and in rage. Holding out a single gloved hand, she produced a sphere of light. “Don't. Ever. Touch her. AGAIN!” Sailor Venus screamed, firing towards Chiral. The attack hit him in his stomach, decimating him into ash and dust. 

Berthier gasped and glared at the two girls, looking thoroughly enraged. She held her hand out and sent a flurry of ice crystals towards them at full blast. “You annoying little twits!” Berthier hissed, sending another wave of ice towards them. Sailor Moon stepped forward and teleported her sceptre into her hands. She tried using it to block the ice crystals but failed, ending up with both girls being knocked to the ground.  Berthier landed on the ground and stepped forward, pressing her heel against Sailor Venus’ back. “Just surrender, and accept your fate already. Two henges, taken over arguably the most cursed and darkest places in all of Japan. There is nothing you can do to stop us” she cackled. With a wave of her left hand, she released a strike of ice that froze over Venus’ hands and legs, trapping her to the ground.

The unmistakable beep of their communicators began to go off, the lights on the top blinking fast. Sailor Moon opened hers and a voice immediately began to transmit through. “Venus, Moon! There's four of them here. Sailor Galaxy showed up and is kicking our asses big time. I'm standing on my last legs as it is. We need Sailor Moon…” Mercury cried before being abruptly cut off by a large explosion nearby.

Moon looked around at the group, feeling distraught, and defeated. Venus was pressed against the ground, ice growing across her body by the second. Cookie was by the fenceline of the property, looking lost and alone. 

“So...that's it....there's no hope…” Venus croaked, barely able to keep herself conscious.

“No”.

Sailor Moon stood up, grasping her sceptre in her hand and clenching her fist. “There’s always hope”. Suddenly, she began to rise into the air. Her eyes were glowing white, and her tiara had disappeared to reveal a glimmering crescent moon symbol on her head. She raised her arm high, holding the Cutie Moon Rod above her head. A swirling vortex of energy began to congregate around the top, turning into a large, silvery crescent moon. In a chilling voice, Sailor Moon stared down her opponents, eyes fierce and determined. “I call the spell which has no name, the spell created by my mother with which she reigned, stand before the might of Serenity and cower!” she said, her voice cold and deep. Aiming the sceptre, she released a large crescent shaped beam of energy towards the crystal henge. Instantly, it was shattered, as a large extraordinary power was released, covering the whole of Tokyo in a blinding white light. 

Once the light cleared, Achiral was nowhere to be seen, only having a small pile of charred ash on the ground as his remains. Mercury and Mars were teleported from Aokigahara, along with Sailor Stellar, Sailor Galaxy and Rubeus, and were scattered through the rubble of the Ayase home. Moon had collapsed onto the ground, her eyes no longer glowing and her crescent moon mark gone. 

“Sailor Moon….” Stellar remarked in awe. 

Mars rushed over to her dear friend, instantly trying to wake her up. Moon’s eyes fluttered open and she looked around, feeling dazed. 

“Sailor Moon...what was that?” Mars asked.

“I don’t know…”.

“When i looked at you, you looked like a heavenly deity. A regal queen if i must say” Sailor Venus added, no longer trapped in ice. 

“Was i channeling Queen Serenity?” Moon inquired. 

Sailor Mercury stepped forward and helped Moon get to her feet. “Who knows. You managed to destroy both henges though. Are you alright though? That spell seemed to have taken it out of you”.

“I'm fine, just a bit tired...thank god i decided to keep Chibiusa-chan at home. Who knows what would have happened if she had been here”.

Instantly, a wave of dark energy swept through the area. Sailor Moon looked up and saw a silver haired man dressed in white, glaring down at them. Right next to him was Chibiusa, unconscious and levitating.  “Chibiusa-chan!” Moon cried out in horror. 

Demande looked down at the fallen members of the Black Moon Clan in frustration. “I had a feeling none of you would be able to capture her. In fact, i noticed no effort was made in even trying to secure her” he sneered.

Berthier bowed before him, fear being broadcast across her porcelain face.“Demande-sama....forgive us...we were preoccupied with the henges that we seemed to have...miscalculated” she stuttered.

“I'll deal with you lot later” Demande shouted, before turning towards the Sailor Soldiers. “I never expected you to defeat the Boule Brothers so easily. They were our best Droids after all”. He then laughed, his voice revealing utter insanity in his words. “We could change the future even more than we already have, depending on one thing…” he asserted slyly.

Sailor Moon stared at him in absolute contempt and held clenched her fists. “Black Moon! What is it you people are after?! Trying to destroy our planet, trying to abduct that girl. What is it all for?! Tell us, do you intend to still do more?” she screamed, her eyes sparking with ferocious power. That’s when Demande stopped and studied her face. It was so familiar to him, that anger, that absolute hatred and disgust for him.  _ Those eyes....that time when she also looked at me that way _ . Suddenly, he realised it. He could see the resemblance right there in front of him. The Neo-Queen of Crystal Tokyo, protected by the light of the Illusionary Silver Crystal. Here she was, attainable at last. 

Prince Demande closed his eyes and summoned his powers, his mystical third eye appearing on his forehead where his Black Moon symbol was. Suddenly, everybody in the room found themselves feeling weighed down, like a pressure was forcing them into the ground. Moon stared up at him, her vision becoming hazy.  _ I can’t move...i can’t look away! _

“Sailor Moon, don’t look into his eyes!” Venus cried out, a moment too late as Moon had already started to descend into the air above, slowly gravitating towards the dark prince. 

“NO!” Venus cried, mustering all the strength she had to summon a Crescent Boomerang to fire at Demande. She aims successfully, as Demande loses his concentration and his powers are weakened, causing Chibiusa to be loosened from his grip and plummet to the ground. Sailor Mars dived forward and grabbed the small child in her arms, preventing her from hitting the linoleum floor. 

Demande glared at Sailor Venus before snatching Sailor Moon’s wrist and dragging her towards him. “I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone, but if i'm to be honest, it's only you i want, Sailor Moon” he said deviously. Instantly, both of them disappeared..

Nobody could respond at first, even members of the Black Moon were frozen in absolute shock at what had just happened. Sailor Venus held her mouth open wide with her eyes small and face pale, the other Soldiers having a similar reaction. Rubeus’ face had formed into an evil grin while Berthier sat confused. Cookie looked as if she was about to cry, and Galaxy’s face was dark, almost as if all the light in the world was taken from her.

Sailor Stellar just sat there, looking up at where Prince Demande had been. He’d taken her, he’d taken Sailor Moon. It was just as she’d read it. And she knew exactly what he’d do to her.

_ Demande-senpai….no...please… _


	8. Act 8 -  Chibiusa, Future Princess

Darkness. Pure, uninterrupted darkness. Usagi turned her head, looking all around, trying to find some semblance of matter. She looked down at her feet to see if she was standing on anything. Nothing was below her.  _ Where am i? Why is there nothing around me??  _ She closed her eyes and held her hands tightly together, so tight that her knuckles began to turn white. Suddenly, she felt a faint breeze, something soft brushing across her cheek. Usagi opened her eyes and saw rose petals flowing through the air. Two figures stood ahead of her, far away but just close enough for her to realise who they were.

“Mamo-chan? Chibiusa-chan?” she stuttered, slowly placing her foot forward. Upon closer inspection, she noticed Chibiusa’s hair had grown at a rapid length, longer than her own even. Moreover, she looked older, slender and darker.

Chibiusa glanced over her shoulder at Usagi, who was now running at full speed towards them. She glared and gripped Mamoru’s shoulder tighter, before turning forward and breaking off into a run, Mamoru following close behind.

“Wait! Where are you going? Don’t leave me behind!”.

The dream began to fade, slowly being replaced by the crystalline walls around her. Usagi’s eyes fluttered open, her head feeling dazed and disoriented. She began to slowly sit up, gripping the silk sheets under her.  _ My head hurts...I...what happened to me? _

As she began to awaken, she became aware of her surroundings. Before her lay a large circular room, holding a white quartz pedestal in the centre, showing a hologram of somebody she couldn’t quite make out. Her fingers began to fumble around before she looked down and gasped: gone was her Sailor fuku, which had been replaced by a long white dress with golden decorations. It’s fabric felt soft in her hands, and her fingers trailed up to her chest. It took a moment before Usagi realised something was amiss.  _ My brooch! Where...where is it?  _ She began to search around the bed, moving the sheets haphazardly before finding it tucked away next to her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she snatched the brooch up and held it in her palms.

Usagi picked herself up off the bed, observing the room around her.  _ Where is this place?  _ she wondered, cautiously walking towards the glowing hologram in the centre of the room. As she got closer, the facial features of the hologram became more apparent.  _ Is that...me? _

“Do you like the hologram I made?”.

Usagi whipped around, startled by the sudden intrusion to her thoughts. Before her stood the man who had taken her prisoner. She pulled her hands close to her chest to hide her brooch and opened her mouth, expecting something to come out. The only thing that came out however, was a slightly squeaky “You”. 

He smirked, seemingly pleased by her fear. “Welcome to the Dark Moon Castle of Nemesis, Sailor Moon” he said, before pausing momentarily. “Or should I say, future Neo-Queen Serenity. Perhaps that's more appropriate. The dress looks wonderful on you”.

“Neo-Queen Serenity?! Who...who is that?”.

Demande glanced at her, confused by her question. Suddenly, he burst out laughing. “You really don't know, do you?” he chortled, stepping forward towards Usagi, gesturing towards the hologram. Usagi slowly stepped back in response. “It's you in the future. The Queen of Crystal Tokyo, the prosperous metropolis of the 30th Century”.

Usagi’s eyes widened as she continued to step backwards, her body shaking in fear. “No...no that can't be me…” she stuttered, trying to wrap her head around what Demande was saying.  _ Me? Queen? That could never happen?!  _ Her face contorted into a soft scowl, directed at her captor. “Who are you anyway? What is it your people want with me?” she asked, her anger trying to mask how terrified she was.

“Of course, where are my manners. I am Prince Demande of the Black Moon. Now…” Demande said, motioning his hands towards the bed Usagi had awoken from. “Have a seat and let us chat”.

Instantly, Usagi felt her body began to move. Her limbs felt cold and lifeless, her body moving as if it were a puppet on a string. She found herself almost immediately seated down on the bed, moving so fast that she felt a jolt of energy pulse through her spine. Usagi looked up at Demande, who was now seated a few feet away from her on one of the short columns that decorated the room. “You were bathed in the power of our Malefic Black Crystal, via the stun of my Evil Eye. It is a testament to the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal that you awakened so quickly. Most people would be out for about a week exposed to such power. Not that I expected any less from the future Neo-Queen. However, I do imagine your body will find it hard to adjust to this planets energy” Demande explained as he stared down his prisoner. His eyes were cold and calculating, betraying only the slightest hint of lust in them.

Usagi listened, not breaking her stare with him the entire time, until she began to realise what exactly he was saying.  _ This means i’m not on Earth anymore?! Where, where has this man taken me? _

“Demande...what do you want with my planet, with my friends? What do you mean i'm the Queen of the 30th Century metropolis?” she interrogated, still gripping her brooch tightly in her hands, keeping it hidden so that Demande wouldn’t notice and have it taken away.

Demande sighed in frustration. “I suppose I should start from the absolute beginning: Neo-Queen Serenity ascended the throne at the tender age of 22. A young girl with an extraordinary power, she quickly overruled all individual powers and governments of the world. There was a new order, of prosperity and peace. Only catch is, you must surrender yourself to the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal and the rule of the White Moon. Soon enough, our world was made lazy from the illusions of long life and unlimited power. We disliked that” he recounted. The day he encountered Wiseman seemed not too long ago, the day where he was approached by the mysterious figure after becoming disgruntled with the philosophy of Crystal Tokyo.

_ “Young rebels...If you wish for strength, then go to Nemesis. If you wish to have it all, obtain the Malefic Black Crystal. Attain brilliance, and rewrite history. Overthrow the all powerful goddess and prove she's not infallible!” Wiseman regaled, his voice low and enigmatic. Demande, convinced by his words, stepped forward and took Wiseman’s hand. _

“We had to prove our might, that corruption by the White Moon would not reign supreme. Negotiating with Her Majesty was out, so the only answer was to revolt. The cost for revolt was high - dissent was immediately quashed, and our ancestors banished. Years of growing bitter lead us here” he gloated, swirling his cape dramatically before moving closer towards Usagi, who instantly recoiled. “Of course, we had never imagined that merely staking the Malefic Black Crystal into the Earth would turn it into a desolate wasteland. It's power was greater and more fearsome than what we had ever dreamed. After that, we had no use for the Earth of the 30th Century. We needed something to make everything we worked for permanent, so the only logical solution was to go back to a time before the Moon Kingdom took control! Rewrite history, make it so Crystal Tokyo would have never existed, our great plan, Operation Replay!”.

Usagi stared at him in disbelief before managing to croak out the words “Rewrite history? Are you insane?”.

“Insane? I prefer to think of it as clarity in a world of calamity. Long life, eternal peace, it's all a fraud. It's human nature to cause destruction. We tether to a balance between good and evil, some swaying more towards one side than others. Interference in such is unnatural, and the ageless bodies brought about by the manipulation of the Legendary Silver Crystal are sacrilege against God. We exist to decay and rot. We live out our lives, in happiness or despair as they may be, until old age takes us back to the void. We must return to the correct path - a path of realism, where peace is desirable but can never be fulfilled entirely!” he continued, seemingly become more and more dramatic by the second.

“What kind of idiocy is this?!” Usagi spat, becoming increasingly infuriated the more Demande prattled on. 

Demande sighed, and strode forward towards the hologram in front of them, his hands firmly clasped behind his back. “I wouldn't expect you to fully understand. You are, after all, a descendant of the White Moon dynasty” he muttered, his voice low. Looking up at the hologram, his eyes softened as he began to remember. “What appeared to me on that fateful day, a loveliness i would have not imagined in my wildest dreams. An omnipotent goddess who never set foot outside the walls of her invincible castle…”.

_ As soon as the light cleared, ash was fluttering in the air, billowing into the smoke that was carried by the wind. The city, the world, all of it, was gone in a second. Buildings were either melted or crumbled to the ground, small fires littering the dusty landscape. Corpses littered the ground, some fully formed while most had melted bodies and contorted faces, capturing their last emotions before their inevitable demise. A small girl sat in front of one of the corpses, crying to herself. Demande stepped up behind her and coldly muttered “Shut up, brat” before striking the girl with a bolt of dark energy. Her screams were haunting, so much so he could still hear them to this day. And that was when… _

_ “Small Lady?!” _

_ He turned around and was struck with the most breathtaking image he had ever seen in his life. A woman in a long gold and white dress was running out of the Crystal Palace, her silver hair tied up in two odangos. Her eyes were wide, and her face filled with fear. _

_ She stopped in front of him, her eyes becoming small and cold, her face displaying the disgust she showed for him. _

“At that moment I saw her, the beautiful and desirable Neo-Queen Serenity. The way she looked at me was with cold disdain. As i were less than human to her. Eyes that seek to do away with me” he described, lost in his memories.

_ He stared at her for a moment more, before closing his eyes and summoning his powers. Immediately, his third eye revealed itself and emitted a dark, stunning energy into the atmosphere. The Queen lifted her hands up, cowering away from his incredible power. Abruptly, a huge burst of white light shone from the Queen’s forehead. Demande squinted, trying to see through the bright haze. What he saw was a crystal beginning to form around the woman’s body, until it had covered her completely. _

“That was the first time i saw the frightening power of the Legendary Silver Crystal in person. Before I knew it, the Queen vanished, transported back into her invincible castle” Demande said, turning his gaze towards Usagi. “Ever since, I could never forget those eyes. I wished to meet her once again, and have her grovel before me! I wanted her, and I didn't care what it took, or what form she might be in”. He moved swiftly towards her, using his powers to force her to stand up and face him. Usagi winced as he grabbed her waist and began caressing her head. She felt his hands move under her chin, forcing her to look up at his lust filled gaze. “And now I have her...the beautiful ruler of the beautiful planet, Neo-Queen Serenity” he whispered, gently moving her face closer to his. Usagi’s eyes grew small as she felt his lips on hers. Tears began to sting her eyes as a million thoughts raced through her head.  _ No, no, no, no, no...this can’t be happening! _

Unknown to both of them was the girl who was hiding behind one of the larger pillars. Turning away from the scene, Hikari clasps both her hands on her brooch, holding it close to her chest. Her teeth were gritted, trying to hold in her urge to cry out in pain. Unlike Usagi, the tears had already begun to fall, and covered her burning face like a blanket. She leant back and slid down the length of the pillar, resting her face into her knees.

Usagi’s shock wore off after a few seconds, and she reacted quickly. Pushing Demande off her, she screamed out and held her brooch up high. “Moon Crystal Power, Make-Up!” she cried, desperate to transform and escape as soon as possible. But, to her dismay, nothing happened.  _ I can’t transform?! _

“This planet is infused with the power of the Malefic Black Crystal. As of now, it suppresses all other forms  of power. Your crystal is useless here” Demande snickered. He began to exit the room before looking upon Usagi one more time, drawing delight from her frail and stunned face. “ Use this palace as you wish, Sailor Moon, after all, this is where your body will spend eternity”.

“You monster!” Usagi screamed, though her screams went ignored as Demande had already left.

“Alright, you should be good to go from here.''

The nurse, who hadn’t left her side since the moment she got there, guided her throughout the twisting corridors. Makoto glanced down at her arm, silently contemplating to herself how things came to this. An injury so bad resulting from yet another battle. She winced as she thought back to the moment Stellar’s sword cut through her forearm. Due to being given a huge amount of morphine, she could no longer feel the tearing pain of her wound, but she was still forced to wear a large cast in order to heal.  _ This is gonna be a huge pain in the ass next battle _ .

Makoto turned towards the nurse and offered her a weak smile. “Thank you, for all you’ve done” she said, eager to get out of there as soon as possible.

“No need to thank me. Now, I had a call with that blue-haired friend of yours earlier - she said she would be outside waiting for you”.

Makoto’s eyes lit up, happy to hear this news. She thanked the nurse once more before exiting the building. The cold spring air hit her almost instantly, feeling crisp on her skin. It was a welcome change from the stuffy and sterile hospital. Looking around, she saw Ami seated on a bench next to the exit, reading.

“Ami-chan! Hey!” she called out. Ami looked up from her book and softly grinned. 

“Mako-chan…”.

“Hey, Ami-chan. Why the long face? If your worried about me, the doctors stitched me up nicely” Makoto laughed, walking towards her blue haired friend. Ami sighed and looked down, closing her book and removing her glasses. “Mako-chan, something happened in our battle yesterday…” she replied solemnly.

It was only then that Makoto noticed Rei, Minako and Chibiusa nearby, watching them both sadly. She squinted at them, trying to figure out what was wrong before it hit her. One of them was missing. “What's going on? Where is Usagi-chan?”.

Ami paused before looking up at her. “Mako...Usagi was taken...by the Black Moon” she admitted, her voice small and filled with sadness.

Makoto stared at her blankly, trying to process what Ami just said. Suddenly, the world felt very small and suffocating. The people milling down the road, unknowing of what was happening in front of them, began to feel crowding. Even though there were no more people than there were before, it felt like there were. Her mind was filled with static, refusing to believe what news had just been broken. “That can't be...How could I let this happen…” she stammered, her palms becoming sweaty. 

Rei stepped forward, lending a hand to her friends shoulder. “It's not your fault at all, Mako-chan. We all tried to save her, but the power that man exuded was to strong. He had us grovelling before him” she murmured. 

“If I hadn't fallen weak to Sailor Stellar and gotten injured, none of this would have happened!”.

“We'll get her back. I know we will” Minako replied, shaking her head. Turning her head, she glanced down at Chibiusa and put on a stern tone. “Chibiusa-chan, we need answers now. Do you know where they took Usagi-chan? Do you know anything about the Black Moon Clan?”. Chibiusa looked up at her, looking increasingly uncomfortable by the second. Minako sighed in frustration. If they hadn’t gotten answers before, they probably weren’t going to get any now. She was hoping Sailor Moon’s disappearance would at least coax the truth out of the child. But to her surprise, Chibiusa spoke up. 

“I didn't want to say, I thought it might protect me. But...without her…” Chibiusa lamented, twiddling her fingers, her face on the verge of tears. “Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus...please save us! Please save the future of the Earth of the 30th Century!” she begged. 

The group stared at her, astonished by what they just heard. Minako was the first to break the silence, confused and filled with questions. “Chibiusa...you...come from the future?” Minako asked, perplexed. 

“I traveled through time from the 30th Century Crystal Tokyo. I didn't think you'd believe me if I said it. But i'm not lying, it's true! There was a sudden explosion, and then Crystal Tokyo and everybody in…” Chibiusa trailed off, struggling to keep her tears in. She sniffed slightly before resuming. “I wanted somebody to save Mama, but i didn't know how to do it!”.

“Chibiusa-chan, who was it that attacked Crystal Tokyo? Was it the Black Moon Clan?” Ami asked.

Chibiusa nodded in reply. 

“We won't ask you to tell us everything, but we can help you. It may still be possible to save your mother” Rei reassured.

Minako turned to Makoto and shot her a stern look. “Get in contact with Mamoru, Luna and Artemis. Tell them it’s urgent, and to meet us as soon as possible” she instructed, easily taking up the authoritative role. She then glanced down at Chibiusa and commanded “Chibiusa! Take us with you to the 30th Century!”.

Chibiusa’s face fell, eyes clouding over with tears and her posture small and fragile. “No...there’s no use. Even if we do go back, it's already destroyed” she mumbled.

“We can't help you if you don't take us to the future”.

“Hold on! What good is going there if we don't have Sailor Moon?” Ami queried.

“They might have taken her to the future. The only way we'll find out is if we go”.

Hikari swiftly made her way to the throne room, trying to pull herself together to try and confront Demande on what she saw. Hopefully, anyway. She still hadn’t figured out how she was going to do that.  _ I’ll walk in, declare that we need to talk and confront him about what he was doing with Usagi! But...then he’ll realise i was in the room too and might be cross...but still…. _

She still hadn’t figured out what to say by the time she happened upon the large double doors leading to the throne room, figuring she’d just wing it and see how it goes. Taking a deep breath, Hikari pushed open the doors. “Demande-sama, can we-” she started before realising that the room was empty. Her face turned red with embarrassment, despite nobody being around to witness her mistake. She set off quickly, eager to find him before Rubeus or someone else found her. Thirty minutes later, Hikari had finally found him - not alone, as unfortunately, he was with Wiseman. 

“We have the future Queen. How is that not enough?” Demande asked bitterly.

“We still need the Rabbit. Without her, you can never truly seize control of the crystal” Wiseman countered.

Hikari gulped before speaking out, her voice quiet and meek. “Demande-sama?”.

Demande looked over at her contemptuously, as if he were annoyed at her mere presence. His annoyance was enough to make Hikari shrink into herself a little, her heart racing and head spinning. “Can I talk to you for a second?” she squeaked, surprising herself a little with how timid she was being. 

“Whatever you have to say can wait.  I have important matters to discuss with Wiseman” he dismissed. Almost immediately he turned back towards Wiseman, ignoring Hikari. “Please?” she begged, raising her voice slightly to get his attention again.

“You can wait, can’t you?” Demande snapped, glaring at her furiously. “There are important matters here that need to be discussed that you have no business in hearing. Wiseman has told me that you’ve been sneaking around him, nosing around in things you don’t understand. Don’t be a child and just wait”.

Hikari’s face fell and she sighed, staring down at her shiny red shoes. “Ok then...sorry to disturb you” she muttered before leaving. Once she was outside and away from them, she sat down and began to cry softly. 

“So, my brother gave you the cold shoulder?”.

She squeaked in surprise, looking up to see who disturbed her melancholic solitude. Saphir was standing over her, looking down sympathetically. Hikari hastily brushed the tears from her eyes, her cheeks burning red. “Yeah, i guess” she replied sorrowfully.

“He still doesn't know what's really going on. I've talked to the sisters and for the most part they believe us in regards to Wiseman. Rubeus and Esmeraude - I haven't talked to them yet”.

“That's all well and good but, without Demande-senpai knowing the truth, there's no hope” she sighed before realising what she said. She instantly hid her face in her hands, trying to shield herself from Saphir’s eyes. As she expected, Saphir smirked in response. “Senpai?”.

By now she was blushing furiously and her mind was screaming ‘get out of here’. Instead, she stayed and removed her hands from her face and glanced up at him with misery in her eyes. “Senpai...yeah, how inappropriate. Especially considering what's going on around here” Hikari chuckled, though she wasn’t laughing in her mind.

“Ah, you've noticed it too haven't you. His infatuation with the Queen” Saphir mused, staring straight ahead. 

“Please don't mention it…” Hikari grimaced.

“If that's what you want, though I will say that you'll have to tell him soon if you really do care about him.'' 

“Alright, alright. That's not important. How are we going to break it to him that Wiseman is, y'know, using him?” Hikari asserted, eager to get the topic off her crush and onto something more pressing. Saphir sighed, before replying “I'll confront him. He may dismiss me but since we have the sisters on our side, he might be more convinced”.

“Please, do everything you can to free him. If you all perish, then I wouldn't be able to forgive myself”.

Usagi sat on the edge of the bed, the exact same spot Demande had left her earlier. Hours had passed, possibly even a day - she didn’t know. The room was cold and dark, save for the glowing hologram in the middle. There were no windows, or anyway of telling the time, so the moments she sat there felt stagnant and slow. Her face was red and hot with heartache, her tears becoming dry almost instantly as they slid down her cheek. 

_ Usako...I will rescue you...Usako! _

“Mamo-chan?!” Usagi cried out, searching the room for her beloved. When she realised nobody was there, she held her head in her hands. Silently, she moved a single hand over her face and rubbed her lips frantically. She didn’t want to feel this way anymore. She wanted to be home, safe, with her friends, and her beloved Mamoru.

_ Was I hearing things? What am i doing. Mamo-chan and the others are too far away, I can't hear their voices! I'm afraid...I can't transform and I feel truly alone! I've been kissed by someone other than Mamo-chan...Mamo-chan....will i never see you again? Even trying to fight, my thoughts get so twisted up between Chibiusa and losing Mamo-chan, and I lose concentration. I should have been dead a long time ago...what a fool I am to be finally realising the truth now. I can't transform, i have no power. I'm done for...please somebody, help! What should i do? I don't want to die here! _

_ Serenity… _

She looked up once more, trying to find the owner of the voice. “Who’s there?” she sobbed.

Immediately as she said this, a glowing figure began to manifest in front of her. A woman with long white hair and a white dress smiled down at her. Her expression was motherly, comforting, warm and familiar. Usagi recognised her instantly as her mother from her past life: Queen Serenity.

_ Princess Serenity, remember this well. The power of the Legendary Silver Crystal depends on your heart. _

Usagi held her hands to her chest, confused by her mother’s words.  _ Is it because my heart is lost? I was insecure about Chibiusa, Mamo-chan...my beliefs were thrown into disarray by Sailor Stellar...I lost my confidence, I forgot my trusting heart. Is that why I couldn't call upon the power? I am the sovereign to-be, Neo-Queen Serenity. I'm supposed to protect the Earth, prevent tragedy from befalling, like it did so long ago.  _

Visions of her friends began flashing across her mind, memories of the moments she first met all of them, when they discovered they were Sailor Soldiers. Memories of when she fought Evil Endymion in the Dark Kingdom and defeated Queen Beryl. She reached out for her compact and held it close and tight, feeling herself being surrounded by light.

_ I'm not alone! Believe, Usagi, believe in your strength! There is one thing I must do...and that is to get back to my friends, to my Mamo-chan! Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus...I will find my way back to you! _

Her compact began to glow brightly, illuminating the dark and cold room. Usagi clicked open the lid and saw the Silver Crystal, glimmering as luminous as ever. She held her hand up high, holding  the compact and screamed “Moon Crystal Power, Make-Up!”.

In the bat of an eye, she had transformed into Sailor Moon. “It worked! I was able to transform!” she cried out, holding her hand over her compact. Her hair began to rise as she was engulfed with pink light. “Now, I need to find my way home...Sailor Teleport!”.

The Sailor Soldiers, plus Tuxedo Mask, had gathered in a small park that was largely unpopular and thus, rarely visited. Chibiusa stood before them on a pier, her hands holding onto her key tightly. With a deep breath, she held out the key to the heavens, ready to begin her chant.

“This is a Space-Time Key. The power of it will lead us to the 30th Century. Hold on to my hand, and don't let go! Not ever, ok?” Chibiusa instructed, extending an arm. The group obliged and grasped onto her tiny hand. Chibiusa turned back towards the sky and began her incantation.

“ O Chronos, Guardian of Time! Tear apart the heavens and open wide for me the Door of Space and Time! I summon thee by your true name, O Omnipotent God of Time, Father of the Guardian, O Chronos! Guide us on our journey! Protect these travellers! Grant us the path of light!”. 

A large break began to form in the sky above, cosmos dazzling as floods of light began to pour out. The group began to be swept up in an invisible wind and carried towards the portal, before disappearing into the ether. The group found themselves in a wide open space. Mist covered everything, almost obscuring the view of a large ornate door in front of them. There seemed to be to end in sight, no walls or signs of any other structure. 

“Where are we?” Jupiter asked.

“The corridor of Space-Time. A space outside of reality” Chibiusa explained, before pointing up ahead. “This door will lead us to the 30th Century! Follow me”.

Without question, the group followed closely behind. With every step they took, the air began to become chillier. By the time they were directly at the foot of the door, most of the Sailor Soldiers felt their fingers freezing through. Sailor Venus stepped forward and placed one hand on the door, prompting a loud and unexpected voice to boom out. 

“Stop! You are forbidden to pass beyond this point!”.

A wave of purple energy washed over them, effectively paralysing the group. “What is this?!” Mercury cried out, trying her hardest to move her limbs but failing to. “Is this a trap by the enemy?” Tuxedo Mask said, gritting his teeth.

Before them, the image of a tall Sailor Soldier appeared, with dark green hair and black coloured fuku. She held onto a long silver staff, complete with a heart shaped orb protruding from the top. Everybody stared at her in shock, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. Yet another Sailor Soldier? 

“I am the Guardian of the Door of Space-Time, soldier of time and the underworld, Sailor Pluto! And any who violates this taboo shall be eliminated!” she commanded, holding out her staff.

“Sailor Pluto?!” Mars exclaimed. 

The dark Sailor Soldier responded by raising her staff into the air and producing a large purple sphere. “Dead Scream!” Pluto cried as she sent the blast of energy towards her captors. The attack was strong, far stronger than Sailor Stellar or anything they had ever faced before. The group was pushed back against the door full force, weakening them. Sailor Pluto stepped forward, lording over them. She glared at them before raising her staff once more.

“Wait, Puu!”.

Sailor Pluto turned around to see Chibiusa running towards her. Her eyes soften as she whispers “Small Lady!”. Chibiusa gripped onto her legs tightly, her face stricken with tears. “These people aren't bad! I brought them with me, don't kill them! I'm sorry I broke my promise and brought people back with me…” she sobbed, her fingers digging into Pluto’s skirt.

Pluto set her staff down and embraced the small girl, her face filled with relief. “Small Lady, where have you been all this time?”.

“I thought that the Legendary Silver Crystal owned by Sailor Moon of all those stories would be more powerful than our Legendary Silver Crystal...so I went into the past”.

Pluto looked at the small child disapprovingly. “Small Lady, the Legendary Silver Crystal is unchanging. No matter what age, it stays the same. I thought you understood that. You broke your promise to me and stole the Space-Time Key and went back into the past without my permission…” she scolded. Chibiusa winced, her cheeks red with shame. Pluto’s harsh expression lifted, and was replaced with motherly concern. “Thank goodness you're safe! Don't ever make me worry like that again!”. She stood up and turned to face the Sailor Soldiers, who had only just gotten themselves to their feet. “I will express my gratitude for bringing the Princess back safely to me” she thanked, bowing her head in respect.

The group stared at her in utter shock. “Chibiusa-chan…a princess?” Mercury stumbled. 

“Sure i am! I may have fooled you, but I am a princess! And normally I'm used to a little more deference than everybody has been showing me so far” Chibiusa replied haughtily, causing Pluto chuckle slightly. “You lot have been nothing but trouble since long ago. Where is Sailor Moon?”.

Almost immediately, a heavy silence hung over the group, their expressions sullen and full of sorrow. Tuxedo Mask was the only one prepared to speak up. “She was kidnapped by the Black Moon…”.

“They probably took her to the future. Go, I shall open the door for you” Pluto replied. She picked up her staff off the floor and twirled it twice, causing the Door of Space-Time to open before them.  She turned back to the group and waved her hand, indicating for them to go through.

“Can't you come with us?” Sailor Jupiter asked.

“I cannot leave my post” Pluto replied solemnly. “Beyond that door is the 30th Century. Go, make haste. You must save Sailor Moon”.

The group made their way through the door, stopping briefly to thank Sailor Pluto for her benevolence. Once they were all gone, the doors closed abruptly with Pluto taking her place in front of them.

When the Sailor Soldiers stepped through the door, they didn’t know exactly what to expect. They expected a destroyed city, of course, but when they were met with the eerie sight of the towering Crystal Palace centring the metropolis, all of them stood shocked. From their vantage point they could see the entire city beneath some. Most buildings were reduced to rubble or had been half melted, the grass burned away to show the dirt below. The sky was dark and clouded, the only source of light being the moon which was hanging abnormally close to the Earth. 

“This is...the 30th Century?” Venus gasped in disbelief at the display in front of her. 

“It looks like an absolute wasteland...the moon's hanging so abnormally close to the Earth” Mercury admonished, trying to take in what was happening.

Tuxedo Mask stared forward. Was this really the future of the Earth? “Where is everybody, why is it so quiet out here?” he said, composing himself.

“I don't like the look of this. Let's get a closer look”.

The group walked down the side of the cliff towards the outer sector of the city. As they got closer, they could see the full extent of destruction that had befallen Crystal Tokyo. Rubble and glass littered the ground. Strange cocoons were attached to the sides of some buildings, slightly glimmering. Sailor Mars moved closer to one, and studied it curiously before pulling away abruptly and screaming. “No!”. The rest of her friends turned around and looked at her questionably, before moving towards the cocoon to investigate themselves. When they discovered what it was, they gasped in horror.

“It can't be...those are…” Venus stuttered, looking down at the cocoon. A human face was contorted out of it, every feature being exposed to the world. The sheer terror displayed on this person’s was more than unsettling.

Mercury pressed her earring to switch on her goggles. She stepped closer, further analysing the corpse. “They're alive I think…”.

“You think?”. 

“It's hard to tell. All my analysis is telling me that they're in a sort of state of suspended animation” Mercury replied. 

Jupiter stared down at her friend, by all accounts shocked at what she was witnessing. “What could have done this?” she asked, a slight croak in her voice.

“I have a pretty good guess about what, look!” Mars piped up, pointing ahead of her. The group turned their attention to the object that caught her eye: a large black crystal monolith was staked into the Earth, not far from where they were standing. The monolith was surrounded by quaked ground and sat in the middle of a large crater, dark energy exuding off of it. Mercury stared at it intently, calculating what exactly it was with her goggles. Chibiusa, however, whimpered and grabbed onto the edge of Tuxedo Mask’s cape, clutching it tightly in her fists. She tried her best to use the cape to hide her frightened expression, as if she wanted to disappear from there right at that moment.

“What went on here? What is that thing?” Sailor Venus stuttered in awe.

Chibiusa continued to cry softly into Tuxedo Mask’s cape, before she lifted her head up to face the Sailor Soldiers, her small face riddled with desperation. “There was an unbelievably, huge, sudden explosion. And afterwards...that appeared. When it all happened, the explosion seemed to only last a moment, but when the light cleared all the buildings were destroyed and Crystal Tokyo was covered in fog. I don't know why but everyone else started coughing and...fell down...and their bodies changed, melting into the surface of the planet. Some of them started growing into cocoons…”.

“Was that an attack by Black Moon?” Mercury asked, switching off her goggles. Chibiusa hesitated momentarily before replying “I don't know...let's go see Mama!”. Without any warning, she broke off  into a run towards the Crystal Palace. Tuxedo Mask and Venus called out for her but she kept running. Cautiously, the group decided to follow her to the foot of the gargantuan palace. Just as they reached their destination, a large array of dazzling lights appeared in front of them. The light was blinding and fierce, so when it cleared, they were surprised and relieved to see Sailor Moon standing before them. 

“Sailor Moon!” Sailor Mars cried out.

“Usagi-chan!”.

“Everyone! You're all here!” Moon exclaimed tearfully, relief washing over her. 

Chibiusa ran up to her and grabbed onto Moon’s legs, blurting out “Sailor Moon!” in a loud and frantic voice. Sailor Moon looked down at the small child and embraced her tightly, tears falling to the desolate Earth below.

“What happened Usako?” Tuxedo Mask asked, his concern apparent in his soft voice.

“I fell unconscious, and that man took me to the Black Moon's base. I'm so happy to be back with you all!” Moon explained. She purposefully glossed over the part where the man had revealed her future, and assaulted her. She didn’t want Mamoru, or really anybody, to know all the details of what happened on Nemesis.

Chibiusa held Sailor Moon’s hand tightly, squeezing it in hers. “Sailor Moon, everyone, we'll go to where Mama is. To the Crystal Palace!” she announced, leading them forward to the palace that lay before them.

“The Crystal Palace?” Sailor Moon asked, confused.

“It's where my family is, and where my mama is”.

Chibiusa led Moon towards the base of the Crystal Palace. She stepped forward and held her hand up in front of her, prompting a large decorated set of doors to appear in front of them. The doors opened and admitted the group, revealing a sight none of them had encountered since their past lives in the Moon Kingdom. They found themselves in a large hall with walls made of crystal, white pillars surrounding the circular foyer and branching up the ceiling, where a large diamond chandelier hung. The floor was made of quartz and held a stretch of red carpet branching towards yet another set of doors. 

Venus starred, wonderstruck at the sight before her. “This is…”.

“It’s gorgeous!” Mars said, finishing her thought.

As the Sailor Soldiers continued to marvel at the beauty of Crystal Palace, Chibiusa kept moving forward towards the second set of doors. She pushed them open, making a large creaking sound which alerted the Soldiers. They followed her through to find themselves in what seemed to be a large throne room. However, under the set of ruffled purple curtains where the throne should be, a large slab of carved quartz lay there, a mess of crystals seeming to grow out of the top of it. As they moved closer, they began to see somebody placed in the middle of it.

“Chibiusa, there's someone inside that crystal. Who is it?” Moon inquired. 

“Neo-Queen Serenity”.

A soft meow broke the silence, Chibiusa turning to see the source of it. In one of the side doors was a small grey kitten with a large bell around her neck, smiling up at the girl. The kitten began to run forward towards her as Chibiusa cried out in joy. “Diana! You're alive!”. She ran forward and picked up the kitten, cradling her in her arms and rubbing her cheeks against hers. Diana mewed again, before jumping down and running towards the side door, where a ghostly form had manifested.

“Wait, that's…” Venus said, squinting at the phantasm before widening her eyes, recognition sparking in them. The ghost who stood before them was a tall, slender man who wore a light lavender tuxedo, the collar of which was emblazoned with a large golden medallion. His hair was jet black, eyes dark blue, though they were covered by a white mask. 

“Tuxedo Mask?!” the group screamed in unison, barring Chibiusa, who instead ran forward and tried to embrace him. “Papa!” she bawled, extending her arms forward in an attempt to hold him. However, her arms went right through him. “Your body! What happened to you?”.

The mysterious phantasm glanced down at her, his eyes soft and comforting as where his words. “Small Lady, I'm glad you made it back safe and sound. Your journey to the past was perilous, but as Princess your judgement was on the mark” he announced. Turning his attention towards his onlookers, his voice shifted to a more formal accent. “Welcome to Crystal Tokyo, metropolis of the 30th Century, and to our home, Crystal Palace. I never imagined your welcome would be in the form of battle, and I never wished for you to see a future such as this” he welcomed, extending out his right arm. “I would have liked to greet you in person but as you can see, I am in this form”.

“Excuse me, but what has happened to you?” Mercury questioned.

“Just think of this as something akin to a ghost that has left my body. This form is not an actual body. My actual physical form is lying in a different room, unable to be awakened”.

“Are you Tuxedo Mask?” Venus asked.

The ghost smiled slightly, and turned towards Tuxedo Mask, who had not said a word since his appearance. “Close, but not quite. I am King Endymion, the future of you...Tuxedo Mask” he replied.

Tuxedo Mask gasped in response, his face turning pale from shock. “King? KING?” he stumbled, unable to come to terms with these new developments. Sailor Moon stared at Endymion is amazement, struggling to choke out her question.  _ Was what Demande said on Nemesis correct?  _ “The future Tuxedo Mask? But...how? Neo-Queen Serenity...that's me isn't it? The sovereign of Earth, Queen of Crystal Tokyo?” she stammered. To her dismay, King Endymion nodded in reply. “That is correct. The leader of the new Silver Millennium, and presently Queen of Crystal Tokyo” Endymion confirmed. Glancing over at Chibiusa, he motioned her to come forward. “Small Lady, if you please, may you properly introduce yourself?”.

Chibiusa nodded and curtsied, clearing her throat. “To one and all, I pray for your good health and humour. My name is Usagi SL Serenity, Crown Princess of Crystal Tokyo and daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance” she said, enunciating every word. Her father smiled in approval. “Well done Small Lady. To be able to greet your guests properly is the very first step for a lady who wishes to act like a queen”.

Diana stood forward and spoke up. “Small Lady, your father has been watching you from afar, this whole time”. Her voice was small and was almost the definition of sugary sweet.

“I beg your forgiveness for the countless incivilities my daughter has committed. I'm afraid she's been overindulged” King Endymion explained, seeming to enjoy the groups astonished looks. Tuxedo Mask finally spoke up. “Your seriously not telling us she's-”.

Endymion chuckled slightly, before confirming his suspicion. “Yes, she's the daughter of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. Your daughter”.

Moon and Tuxedo Mask’s faces turned beetroot red, the temperature of which rising every minute. The rest of the group stood aghast as they processed the absolute bombshell that was just dropped on them. “Chibiusa is my daughter?! With Mamo-chan?!” Sailor Moon said, struggling to get her tongue to untie itself.

“What year, month and day did this happen?!” Mars exclaimed indignantly.

“So much more makes sense now” Venus stated, turning towards Moon cheekily. “Her behaviour seems to mirror yours perfectly”.

“Shut up!”.

“Your majesty, is that the Legendary Silver Crystal encasing the queen? Why is she like that?” Sailor Mercury quizzed. 

Jupiter was the next to turn her attention back to the sleeping Queen, her brows becoming furrowed. “Is she just sleeping, or is she…” she asked, her voice quivering slightly.

Endymion stared on at the crystal coffin, looking like he was a million miles away. “...I cannot say. She may live. She may not. What happened that day…” he replied, his voice small and distant. Diana stepped forward, relieving the King of the burden of explaining the tragedy. “Though the queen hardly ever ventured outside the walls of the palace, that day she was seen leaving the palace in what seemed to be a terrible hurry” she disclosed.

“The explosion happened, and in an instant everything was blown away and turned to dust. Only the Crystal Palace, built by the Silver Crystal remained. The rest of Earth fell to a deadly silence. At that very moment, the crystal suddenly encased the queen's body as if it were protecting her. But her four guardian goddesses and myself took on the brunt of the attack and fell. We sealed off the palace almost immediately but our people still fell one by one, as if poison gas had filtered in. And yet, our daughter, Small Lady and Diana were the only ones who remained unaffected. I was always telling her about the stories of when the queen was Sailor Moon, and I imagine that's what led her to flee to the past. Diana couldn't bear leaving Luna and Artemis, so she stayed” Endymion clarified, failing to notice his daughter’s eyes widen in fear, staring down at the floor.

Venus snickered as she heard the last sentence. “Let me guess, she's their kid”.

When Endymion nodded in reply, her mouth fell open, gaping wide like she was a fish. “That was meant to be a joke!”.

“Can we back up a little - if I'm correct, this is the 30th Century. How has everyone lived so long, and not seemed to have aged a day?” Jupiter queried.  

“The lifespan of a Silver Millennium native is roughly a thousand years. From birth to adulthood, our kind ages at the same rate as humanity but after adulthood is reached, the speed of aging comes to a halt. This is all due to the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal. I also received this power and obtained a long lifespan. In fact, all of the citizens of Crystal Tokyo have received the lifespan of a Silver Millennium native. Around the Earth, wherever the power of the crystal spread, everybody received power and long lives. We lived in peace until that moment. The damage done to Crystal Tokyo is greater than what you see now. Once that black monument appeared, it sucked all life and energy from the Earth, and the march towards the destruction of Earth began. The only thing that can save us is the Legendary Silver Crystal, but the only one who can wield it is in a comatose state” King Endymion explained, continuing to stare off into the distance. 

“This is all because of the Black Moon, isn't it? Just who are they?” Mars asked. Endymion stared down at his feet before turning to a door on the right side of the room. “...Follow me”. He passed through the walls while the Sailor Soldiers entered through the doors, following the phantom towards a room at the far end of the palace. They soon found themselves in some sort of control room, adorned with high-tech gadgets they had never seen before. King Endymion walked towards the large motherboard in the centre of the room, pressing a large glass button. A large monitor appeared on the walls, showcasing a planet pulsing with red energy.

“The planet Nemesis, the tenth planet of the solar system. Until at least a couple centuries ago we had no knowledge of it, and since then humanity has been trying to figure out a use for it. Research was done on the planet and revealed a mysterious dark energy to be inhabiting it's core. In that time, a criminal and murderer that time almost forgot rose up. Until then Neo-Queen Serenity had quietly watched over Crystal Tokyo, but when he appeared, she stood up to fight. He was captured and exiled to Nemesis. Not long after, followers of the man began to riot, and along with him they were banished to that desolate dark planet. Things began to return to normal and before long anybody who remembered or was affiliated with the group began to pass on. Until now” Endymion prattled.

“When I was taken to Nemesis, their leader told me that they're descendants of the initial revolutionaries. Is this true?” Sailor Moon asked.

“I cannot say for sure, but most likely yes. I fear their goal is to overthrow us and instil a dictatorship”.

Moon began to ask another question before a haze descended across her mind. Her forehead began to feel clammy, and the world began to spin around her. “I'm feeling dizzy…” she groaned before stumbling into Sailor Mars, falling into her arms.

“Sailor Moon...your legs…” Mercury mumbled. Moon looked down and noticed her legs were starting to become see-through!

“Shit, you have to get back to the past right away! It against the law of nature for more than one of the same person to exist in the same time! And in such close proximity, it puts a strain on space-time. Forgive me for keeping you so long” King Endymion cursed, exiting the room and speeding down the corridor, the group closely following behind him. They eventually reached the entrance to the palace. “If you use the Key of Space-Time, you'll be able to find your way back to the Space-Time corridor. Please hurry!”.

On Nemesis, Demande was sitting atop his throne, frustrated and incensed at the news that his captor escaped. Before him stood Saphir and Hikari, bowing their heads respectfully.

“How was she able to use the crystals power?! The Malefic Black Crystals power is supposed to suppress all other forms of magic! Where is she now?”.

“The Crystal Palace, along with her four guardians and Tuxedo Mask” Saphir said.

“Hmm...So, it's safe to assume she's learnt the full extent of her future. There is no time to waste, we need to recapture her and the Rabbit!” Demande retorted.

“But she's surrounded, in the walls of the Crystal Palace and guarded by the Sailor Soldiers. What are we to do-”.

“I’ll go”.

Both men glanced over at Hikari, who throughout this bickering stayed silent, her hair untied from their traditional pigtails and spread over her face, hiding her contempt and bitterness. She should have known, she should have prevented him from kidnapping Sailor Moon.  _ How could have I been such an idiot?  _

Saphir glared at her. “Excuse me?”.

“I know what I said - I’ll go” Hikari snapped. “I’ll go, eliminate the Sailor Soldiers, and i’ll capture the Rabbit. I’ll do it all”.

“With all due respect, Hikari, you haven’t exactly succeeded in that so far”.

Hikari continued to stare forward, slipping her hand into her pocket and producing her brooch. She placed to her chest and instantly transformed, before holding her hand out and summoning her Crystal Sword. “This is what I came here to do, let me do it” she hissed, before clicking her fingers and vanishing into thin air, leaving both Saphir and Demande to glance at each other in confusion.  _ That girl, what on Earth is she doing? _

The Sailor Soldiers hurried out of the Crystal Palace, Venus leading, trying to rush towards the Door of Space-Time before any more consequences of time travel befell them. Tuxedo Mask was holding on to Sailor Moon, who was still fading from the waist down. No matter how far they got from the Crystal Palace, she continued to become transparent.

“We need to hurry, Usagi-chan is still fading!” Mars called out, before glancing back down at her friend. “How are you feeling?”.

“A little dizzy, but I think i’m alright”.

“Your fading away, that’s not alright at all!” Jupiter cried. 

“Chibiusa-chan, is there anyway we can get to the Door of Space-Time faster?”.

Chibiusa paused before pulling out her key. “I can just take us to the corridor from here! Hold on, Sailor Moon!”. She held her key towards the heavens and began the incantation to summon the portal before being struck by a ray of light and losing grip of the key.

“Chibiusa!” Tuxedo Mask screamed, diving forward to catch the small child from falling. The Sailor Soldiers glanced forward as a ray of dazzling lights began to form. Mars stepped in front of Sailor Moon protectively as Sailor Stellar materialised before them. 

“So, you've finally found your way to the future. Impressive” Stellar snapped, glaring at the group. Her opposers shared the same sentiment, glaring furiously back at her, Jupiter especially looking pissed.  “What do you want Stellar?” she growled, crossing her arms. Despite being in her Sailor form, Jupiter still suffered from her injury, leaving most movement of her arm to sting. She didn’t care though. This time she would be there for her friend. This time she would not be useless.

“I think you already know the answer to that” Stellar replied, almost a hint of disgust in her tone as she directed her attention towards Chibiusa, who had taken to hiding behind Tuxedo Mask.

“There's only one of her and six of us. We can beat her guys!” Venus announced triumphantly.

Sailor Stellar scowled at them before swiping her right arm forward, producing a powerful blast of energy that pushed them all back into the ground. Sailor Venus however, stood her ground and fired her Crescent Beam, which was deflected by Stellar’s Crystal Sword. “Your honestly delusional if you think you have a chance.''

“Shine Aqua Illusion!” Mercury croaked, still trying to gather herself after being knocked into the ground. Stellar once again deflected the attack with her sword and continued to scowl at them. Mars ran forward, firing her signature Fire Soul attack. Stellar squinted her eyes and summoned her shield, piercing through the fierce flames.

“You’re all annoying” she muttered, before setting her sights down on Sailor Moon, who was struggling to keep herself upright. Most of her feet hsad disappeared, and her legs were almost fully transparent at this point. 

_ There she is...the future Queen of Crystal Tokyo...the girl who my prince has eyes for… _

Without any warning whatsoever, and in almost the blink of an eye, Stellar had charged forward, sword aimed in front of her and eyes searching for blood. There was almost a second where almost everything fell silent, save for the sound of fine cut diamond piercing blood. For a moment, a small moment, nobody did anything, just stared at what they saw in front of them.

Sailor Stellar, her sword poised in front of her, the edge of it disappearing through Sailor Moon’s stomach. Blood dripped down the blade of the sword as Stellar stared in shock, her eyes small and her heart racing. She slowly removed the blade from her opponent, prompting a loud shriek of pain from Moon as she feebly reached for her stomach. Blood began to spill out at large speeds as Moon stared upon Stellar one final time before slumping  to the ground. 

Mars was the first to react, running forward screaming “Usagi!” at the top of her lungs. Tuxedo Mask was close behind, reaching for Usagi’s corpse and caressing it in his arms. Tears streamed down his face as he held her close, looking down upon the face of the girl he loved, a girl who moments ago was alive and standing next to him.

And now she was gone.

The rest of the Soldiers cried, wailing in agony, but Tuxedo Mask paid no attention to them. His memory was racing, flashing from the moment they first met to that fateful fight on top of Tokyo Tower. Memories he didn’t personally experience began to show too, of him and Serenity atop a flower-filled mountaintop. She stared up at him in happiness, her face blushing brightly as he handed her a deep red rose. That face slowly began to fade into the one he was holding now, ashen and pale from blood loss. All those times they were together, when they fought for each other, and died for each other. After everything, this wasn’t the way things should have ended. 

Stellar had stepped back, outside of all of them, her face pale and her entire body shaking. She glanced down at her sword, stricken with the blood of the White Moon, as if to confirm to herself that what happened really, actually, happened. 

Mars stood up, her fists tight and firm. “You....MONSTER!” she screamed, summoning balls of fire and firing them at Stellar. 

Sailor Stellar quickly snapped out of her trance and dove forward to avoid Sailor Mars’ furious random fire attacks. Suddenly remembering what she was truly there for, she sped towards Chibiusa and swept the girl off the ground.

“Venus Love-Me Chain!” Venus screeched, trying to lasso the child out of Stellar’s grip. However, she merely picked up the chain in response and flung it back at her. Before disappearing, she turned to the grieving Soldiers and spoke in an almost robotic tone. “You'll take everything from me. This was the only way”. Suddenly, she vanished, Chibiusa still in hand.

Mars’ face turned bright red as she continued to stare into the sky, her fists burning with fury and need for justice. “How dare she, how dare she-”.

“Mars?”.

She turned around to see Venus looking up at her sorrowfully. Glancing down she saw Usagi’s corpse, still being held by Tuxedo Mask, disintegrating slowly into small fragments of light. She stumbled forward, muttering “no” under her breath, trying to grasp for her friend’s hand. Though, by the time she reached out, it was too late. Usagi was gone. Reduced to particles of light. 

“No...no...no no no! Usagi, please don't go, please don't die! USAGI!”.


	9. Act 9 - Grievance, A Lost Soldier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter involves a character attempting suicide. Viewer discretion is advised

The sun had just about disappeared beneath the horizon as the moon shone down above Tokyo, stars covering the dark purple sky. Despite the sun being down, people still bustled in the city below, hustling to their own engagements and events. Among the crowd was Kukki, hastily adjusting her coat around her. She had hoped to just stay the day at home, but close to sunset realised that she had nothing to cook for dinner.  _ Ugh, I can’t believe I forgot to get food for myself! Why can’t things just be simple... _

Kukki had almost reached her destination when suddenly a loud shriek pierced her ears. She squealed in surprise before putting her hands to her head, feeling immense pain course through her veins. Her vision became blurred and she stumbled to a halt, unable to keep going. People in the crowd were staring but she didn’t care - the noise continued, her ears ringing violently. Kukki almost felt she was going to faint.

_ Kukki! Something’s...happened...Sailor Moon! _

She was taken aback by the voice that manifested in her head. Her head continued to pulse in pain as she stumbled towards a shopfront to lean on. “What’s going on? Who are you?” Kukki asked, her hands still covering her ears in a futile attempt to try and stop the ringing.

_ Pluto...the future...it’s changing! _

“What future? What do you mean?!”.

_ Contact me as soon as possible...things...are dire... _

The piercing shriek left her ears, and her head stopped feeling like it was dying. Kukki slumped down, grasping the sides of her jacket in pain. Although the excruciating pain was gone, she was still left with a mild headache. Looking up towards the world, her vision started to become normal and form a figure staring down at her. They looked concerned.

“Are you ok?”.

Kukki stood up abruptly, staring forward at the mysterious lady. She seemed to be a normal businesswoman, with long dark hair and a straight-ironed suit. “I’m ok, just...not feeling well” Kukki mumbled, before turning and hurrying away, trying to hide to embarrassment and shame on her face.

Meanwhile, Sailor Stellar had teleported to the hallway outside of the throne room of Dark Moon Castle. She looked down towards Chibiusa, who seemed to have fainted in shock in her arms. She glared at the child briefly before softening her eyes slightly.  _ Oh god, Stellar, what the fuck have you done?  _ She shook her head, ignoring the guilt coursing through her and strode forward towards the throne room. The closer she got, the clearer the owners of the voices inside the room became. Stellar scowled briefly, wondering why Rubeus and Demande weren’t always this easy to find. 

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the doors dramatically. Rubeus glanced towards her, irritated. “What do you wa-” he started, before realising what she was holding in her arms. 

“Here she is - Usagi Small Lady Serenity” Sailor Stellar, smirking. “Now what was that about me never capturing her?”.

Rubeus continued to stare at her, his eyes conveying disbelief. To this, Stellar merely rolled her eyes and scowled. 

“Hikari-san, I commend your achievement in bringing the Rabbit into our custody. Now, see to it she's kept somewhere locked up securely. I will not have her escape like Sailor Moon did” Demande responded, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence that had formed. Hikari blinked before turning her gaze towards him, still scowling. “That should be no issue, she has no real powers” she replied bitterly, before reaching forward to Chibiusa’s neck and snatching the Space-Time Key from her neck. “Keep this, we have no use for it” she said, tossing the key to Rubeus. 

Rubeus continued to stare at Stellar, his expression riddled with confusion. “A Key of Space-Time? How did that come into her possession?” he questioned, looking down at the glimmering key in his palms.

“Stole it off Sailor Pluto. I'm sure you could find some use for it as an ornament or something”. With that, Sailor Stellar turned to make her exit while trying to hide her growing annoyance and frustration. It did not work however, as Demande ended up calling after her. 

“Rubeus, exit the room. I need to have a word alone with Hikari” he commanded. Rubeus grumbled under his breath, but ultimately left the room, leaving Hikari alone to confront Demande. 

She continued to glare onwards at him, not wanting to forget about what she saw, only a day earlier with Usagi. “What is it?” she snipped, not even bothering to conceal the contempt in her voice anymore. Demande ignored this, and strutted forward. “So, there were no difficulties in securing the Rabbit?” he asked in earnest. 

Stellar glanced upon him, wagering whether or not to tell him what ultimately happened to Sailor Moon. After a solid minute of debating herself, she decided to lie through her teeth. “Nope, none at all”.

“Are you sure about that? No casualties?”.

“None whatsoever”.

Demande began to glare back at Stellar, causing her to feel slightly nervous. “Hikari-san, you should know by now that I observe everything. Every single battle with the Sailor Soldiers, i've seen it. This one is not an exception. I know what you did to Sailor Moon” he snapped. Sailor Stellar took a deep breath in, and tried to retain her composure. Externally, she looked as if what Demande said hadn’t even phased her at all. Internally, her mind was a scramble of thoughts screaming “oh shit!”. Calmly, she replied “I did what needed to be done” before continuing on, a sly look creeping across her face. “Why do you care anyway? Isn't this what you wanted? For the future to be a Black Moon society? Then if anything I did you a favour by eliminating the future Queen of Crystal Tokyo”.

“That is none of your concern” he countered, looking slightly flustered and bothered by the questions posed.

Sailor Stellar continued to press on. “Is it? Is it really? I saw what you did. I saw what happened when she was a prisoner here. And I knew it would happen for a long time. I didn't stop it, because I couldn't. It was all inevita-” she prattled, before being unexpectedly cut off, feeling her body beginning to feel stiff and numb. Looking up, she saw Demande was using his evil eye attack on her, glowering furiously. 

“You've seem to have forgotten your position here. You're supposed to follow orders” he yelled, striding towards her briskly and grabbing hold of her face. “Don’t press this matter further”. 

Stellar didn’t let up, and continued to stare angrily at him. “Alright, I will follow orders. Let me go, and I'll take this little brat to a safe and secure place” she commanded, her eyes firey and feisty. It took Demande a few seconds for him to hinder his attack and release her. “Don't kill anyone again without my direct orders. Violation can and will result in your immediate death”.

Down in the command centre, Luna and Artemis were waiting for the group to return to the future. After spending an entire night down there, both cats were exhausted and longed for more information on their enemies. Trying to locate more data on them was almost impossible without the Sailor Soldiers was near impossible. 

There was a slight click, and the sound of a series of footsteps descending down a marble staircase. Artemis looked up from his monitor towards the entrance to their secret hideaway to see the Sailor Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask returning, looking dishevelled and defeated. 

“Everyone! Your back from the future!” Luna exclaimed, excited to have some company other than Artemis. She jumped down from her seat and surveyed the group, before she began to notice a few red flags. The demeanor of the group was sorrowful, not stoic or even serious. Everybody was feeling despaired, and defeated. What had they seen to warrant such sadness and horror? That’s when she noticed.

Sailor Moon and Chibiusa weren’t there. 

“Were you able to discover anything more about Chibiusa or the Black Moon?” Artemis asked, prancing over to join Luna. It took him only a second longer than Luna to realise that something was wrong. “You guys still don't have Usagi-chan back? Where's Chibiusa-chan?”.

Venus was the only one able to come forward. With tears straining her eyes, she announced the thing that the two cats were afraid to hear. “We were ambushed” she mumbled in a quiet and small voice.

“We arrived in the future and discovered it to be utterly destroyed. Upon arriving at the Crystal Palace, we were reunited with Usagi-chan. We were then greeted by future Tuxedo Mask, who told us him and Usagi are the rulers of the future, and that Chibiusa-chan is their daughter” Mars explained, her face red and hot from the tears she’d cried from when they were in the future. It took everything in her to have them not pour out again, to not think about the horrific way they lost Usagi. 

“Chibiusa-chan?! Their daughter?!” Artemis squeaked, not knowing what to think. On one hand, he felt stupid for not realising it sooner, but on another, he knew this wasn’t the full story. But did he really want to know the full story?

“Once he had explained everything, Usagi began to become faint. She began fading away, because she was so close to her future self. We left hastily but then…” Venus continued, before stopping herself. She could feel a rage bubbling below the surface, rage towards Sailor Stellar. She wanted to cry, she wanted to yell and beg for her back. But Sailor Venus knew that without Usagi, she had to be strong for everybody else. Mercury nodded sympathetically at Venus, before stepping in to continue. “Sailor Stellar showed up”.

Sailor Stellar. That name was enough to make the cats hairs stand on end. She was already mystifying on her own, but with the context that something happened, something so tragic that the group was struggling to discuss it, made her even more terrifying. Luna gulped and looked up at everyone. “Please, tell us. What happened to Sailor Moon?”.

Surprisingly, out of all of the group, it was Tuxedo Mask to break it to them. He looked up from the floor, his face stained with dry tears. Although he hadn’t stopped crying, he managed to croak out what happened. “She was fierce...and formidable, besting us almost immediately in combat. And...she killed Sailor Moon”.

The world became quiet. Both cats stared upon Tuxedo Mask, almost not wanting to believe what he said. “Sailor Moon...Usagi-chan...is...dead?” Luna stuttered, tears welling up in her large blue eyes. It wasn’t, it couldn’t be possible. Sailor Moon. The Moon Princess. The heir to the Legendary Silver Crystal.

Dead. 

Artemis shook his head, stunned at this revelation. “No...no, it can’t be!” he cried out.

Sailor Venus couldn’t take it anyway. Her tears started to stream down her rosy cheeks, her voice becoming hoarse and unclear. She leaned down at picked up Artemis in her arms, holding him close and letting him cry into her chest. She wanted more than anything to go back to the moment they fought Stellar. If she could have done anything to stop it, she would have. But she was too weak. And she failed her princess. “Then she abducted Chibiusa and left us there, holding onto Usagi's corpse. But she began to fade into little sparkles of light...we couldn't even bring a body back…” Venus mumbled. 

A silence was cast over the room for a few minutes. Nobody dared, or even wanted to talk. They wanted Usagi back, standing next to them, telling them funny little stories about her day at school. They wanted to hear Rei roll her eyes and tease Usagi, and for them to squabble. They wanted more than anything to see her face light up the room. Instead, all they could do was mourn.

Venus wiped her tears away, and faced the group. Without Usagi, she was the leader, and she had to act reliable, and keep the group together. She knew they’d have to move forward without their princess. “We can't let her death be in vain. We have to keep fighting, keep protecting this world for her sake. We have to destroy Black Moon” she declared, still holding Artemis close to her chest. 

“What should we do about her family...to have her disappear so suddenly...it'll worry them sick” Jupiter piped up, holding onto her injured arm tightly. The pain meds she was taking had dulled the ache slightly, but with the extreme combat she faced earlier, she could still feel a sharp pain piercing through her muscles.

Venus pondered for a moment before speaking up. “Maybe...maybe i'll give her family a visit. Possibly as Sailor V since she's more well known than Venus. I'll tell them everything, that their daughter was a hero, that she was one of us and fought and died for justice. We may not have a body to give to the Tsukino’s, but they still deserve to know who Usagi really was. It's the least we can do for Serenity's legacy” she offered. 

“It’s risky...as long as they promise not to spread the secret” Tuxedo Mask replied.

“Too risky, maybe. What if she's just been erased, out of existence? Bodies don't just fade away like that…” Mercury added, clutching her hands tightly together.

Mars turned towards her friend, staring at the blue clad Sailor Soldier in disbelief. Usagi? Being erased? That couldn’t happen, could it? “Usagi wouldn't be erased. She can't be. She can't be” she sobbed. “I'm with Venus. Everyone should know who Tsukino Usagi was”.

“Only thing is, what happens when Naru and her friends come knocking, wondering why their friend hasn't been in school for days. Or when they wonder where Chibiusa is” Jupiter countered, starting to feel worry cloud her mind.

“There's also the fact that certain members of the Black Moon are aware of her true identity. Remember when Calaveras and Stellar fought us at the temple? She taunted Usagi, revealing her civilian identity. It's possible after their defeat Stellar told the rest of them. We could be putting the Tsukino family in danger by visiting them. I could be talking nonsense but I wouldn't want them to be caught up in all of this” Artemis added. 

“Why would the Black Moon have any reason to go after the Tsukinos though? They have Chibiusa-chan, they'd have no use for the rest of them” Luna said, jumping back up on the monitors in front of them. 

“Fair point. I just wouldn't innocent civilians to become mixed up in this”.

Tuxedo Mask continued to ponder, staring blankly down at the floor. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself now. Wasn’t his whole purpose to try to protect Usagi?  _ Yeah, good job Mamoru. You’ve gone and gotten the future Queen of Crystal Tokyo killed because of your uselessness. How could I let this happen.  _ “Maybe we should wait. See if they remember her at all” he blurted out, much to the surprise of the group.

Venus nodded, and turned towards Luna, who was still skulking around the monitor. “Luna, go back to the Tsukino residence and observe them for a bit. See if they have any recollection of their daughter or young cousin” she ordered. Luna complied, and began to trot off out of the command centre. 

Sailor Mars stared at the group, her face full of rage and hurt. “So that's all we're going to do? We're going to wait?! And do nothing for her? Usagi-chan was our friend, she shouldn't be disrespected like this!” she shouted, asserting herself into the conversation. Everyone looked at her startled while her face became heated. 

“Mars!” Mercury exclaimed, bewildered at her friends rage. “Calm down!”.

Mars continued to glare angrily at them, before relenting and collapsing on the floor, tears pouring from her eyes. “It should have been me, it should have been me!” she cried, slamming her hands against the cold quartz that covered the ground. Venus stepped up, placing her arms around Sailor Mars in solidarity. “Mars, it's not your fault! We were all powerless against her this time. She was stronger than she had ever been before” she explained, hoping to stop this outburst there an then.

“I don't care! We could have done something! We could have prevented her from dying, but we did nothing. We just laid around helplessly while that monster killed our Moon Princess!”.

“Mars, listen to me. None of this is your fault. Alright? We had our guard down and were just desperately trying to leave as soon as possible. If you want to blame someone, blame Stellar, the actual murderer” Venus continued, restraining her own need to cry. 

For a moment, Mars seemed to have cooled off. She stopped crying heavily, but her face still betrayed her despair and sorrow. She quickly stood up, shaking Venus’ grip off her and reaching for her Star Power Stick. “I need some time alone. Don’t follow me, please”. She held the stick high above her head and powered down into her civilian form, before running from the command centre.

Elsewhere in Tokyo, it was early in the morning, and Kiyomi Hakirui was making her way to  the abandoned temple her and Stellar fought at days ago. She didn’t intend to be up this early, but received an alarming text from Hikari, begging for an Otaku Soldier meet up. And for whatever reason, it had to be at some ungodly time in the morning where the birds weren’t even up yet. Kiyomi rubbed her eyes, catching a slight bit of crusty mucus in the corners of her eye. She pulled a face before flicking it away in disgust. 

A few minutes later, she reached the abandoned lot and crept under the yellow police tape strewn around the entrance to see Hikari and Kukki, sitting on stone blocks. 

“Alright, Hikari-chan, what’s so important that you had to get me up at 5:00 in the morning?” she asked.

Kukki turned towards Hikari, looking concerned. “What's going on Hikari-chan? You've been texting us like crazy, saying we need to talk and all. You haven't alerted us of any missions either” she queried while straightening out her blue skirt. 

Hikari sighed, and looked up at the girls stoically. “Everyone...something awful has happened”.

“Whatever it is, we can fix it. Just tell us ok?” Kukki smiled, softly placing her hand on Hikari’s shoulder. Hikari took a deep breath, before relaying the recent events to them. “We were battling...and Prince Demande came in at the last minute, and he captured Sailor Moon. She got taken to Nemesis but escaped and reunited with the Sailor Soldiers in the 30th Century…” she elucidated, fidgeting roughly with her fingernails. 

The memory of Pluto’s strange messages earlier came to Kukki’s mind, putting her slightly on edge.  _ The future…something happening to Sailor Moon...did Pluto mean that...Hikari did something?  _ She began to eye Hikari suspiciously, withdrawing her hand slowly from her presence. “The 30th Century? Is that all that happened to Sailor Moon? Her being captured?” she pressed, wanting every single detail.

“No...the Soldiers discovered their future, and they tried to get back to the past. But I stopped them. And...I don't know what i was thinking, or doing, it's like my body moved on it's own. For a moment I became a different person, with all this rage and jealousy inside of me” Hikari stumbled, trying to ignore the stabbing pain of both her friends looking at her in fear. 

“Kagayaki Hikari, what did you do?” Kukki asked, her voice becoming small and frightened.

Hikari’s face began to turn white, her voice becoming wobbly while tears formed on the edge of her eyes. “My sword was out in front of me, piercing her. I had run my sword through her. I killed Sailor Moon” she admitted.

Silence falls over them as Kukki and Kiyomi stare at her fearfully. Kukki starts to step away from Hikari, holding her hands close to the pocket where she keeps her transformation pen. Kiyomi couldn’t find it in herself to move, instead, she stood there, her face blank with shock.  

Kukki was the first to react, her face becoming incensed. “How could you?! I trusted you! I thought you were fighting for good! What was it you said when we first met, about making sure innocents don't die? What other lies have you told me?” she screamed, slowly edging her way towards the exit. “Pluto was right about you. You can't be trusted, and I was a fool for trusting you”.

“Kukki-chan, please, I-”.

“No! Don't talk to me! Don't you ever talk to me! You killed my childhood idol, in cold blood. You lied to me over and over, in fact, who exactly is this "boss" you're working for? Was it Prince Demande? Were you working with the Black Moon Clan this whole time?!” she spat, silently debating if she should run, or stay and transform to fight. Though when Hikari just simply nodded in reply, that was all the answers she needed. 

“I can't believe it...how could I be so stupid” she stammered in shock and rage. Turning towards Kiyomi, she demanded answers. “Did you know of this?”.

“Sort of. I knew about Black Moon but-”.

Kukki cut her off by throwing her hands up in the air, screaming in frustration. “That's it. I can't trust anyone here! My friend is working for Black Moon, and my other friend covered it up” she tutted bitterly. She turned and prepared to bolt out of the exit before turning towards Hikari one last time with a look that could kill.  “I hope you and your comrades rot in hell”. With those final words, Kukki evacuated from the lot, leaving Kiyomi and Hikari.

“Kukki! Please don’t leave!” She called out, but far too late as Kukki had already left. Hikari groaned before burying her head in the palms of her hands. “What am I going to do…”.

“Whatever you do, i'm not going to be apart of it”.

Hikari looked up and to her shock, saw Kiyomi leaving the lot too. She ran forward and tried to stand in front of her, pathetically begging for remorse. “Kiyomi-chan?! Your not leaving me too are you? Please...I can explain it all!” she cried hurriedly. Kiyomi sighed and stared at Hikari with a stone cold demeanor, a type of energy that Hikari wasn’t used to seeing in her. “I'm sorry Hikari, but you've fucking killed someone. Do you know how serious that is? When I was brought to this universe, I came here to help you. But this...this is more than I can handle. Goodbye Kagayaki Hikari, have a nice life” she lectured, before sidestepping Hikari and leaving her alone and lost in the middle of the lot. 

Four days later, the reality of Usagi’s death had barely sunk into many. For most of the Soldiers, every day they woke up, they expected to have another day where Usagi was late to school and was forced to stand in the hall, another day where after school they went out to the Crown Fruit Parlour to gossip and laugh about the stories of the day. Until it settles in that Usagi will never be there to do those things again. Rei out of all of them took her death especially hard. She began missing days of school and only appearing at the gates of Juuban Middle School to meet up with Ami and Makoto. 

She still was devoted to her shrine maiden duties, as they helped distract her from the reality around her. In all honesty, Rei hadn’t begun to anticipate how empty the world would feel. A big part of it is just missing, and everybody is simply going on with their lives like nothing’s wrong. She wanted them to know what was wrong. She wanted everybody to know what Usagi had done for them, and how she defended everyone from the evil of the universe, and died a hero. She cried silently, thinking back to the day before in the command centre.

_ “Luna, do the Tsukinos remember Usagi-chan or Chibiusa-chan?” _

_ “They remember nothing about Chibiusa. It seems that whatever spell her Luna-P toy cast on them wore off once she was abducted. Usagi, however…’ Luna replied, before wincing, clearly trying to withhold her pain. _

_ “What about Usagi?” Ami asked. _

_ “They remember her. They're worried sick about her, and have called the police to file a missing persons report”. _

What Luna told them was crushing. An entire family having to live with never knowing what happened to their daughter. Unless somebody stepped up, she’d remain forever missing in this world. Rei fought the others to try to tell the Tsukino’s what truly happened to Usagi. In her heart, they deserved to know the truth instead of being riddled with pain forevermore. However, she was overruled, and the group agreed to keep the secret to who Usagi was for their own safety. She already didn’t like their decision but when she saw missing person fliers for Usagi on her way back to the shrine, she almost lost it. 

_ It should have been me. Not her. Not our sweet, bright Usagi… _

Her thoughts were unexpectedly interrupted by her grandfather calling out to her. “Almost done with those leaves Rei?”. She turned towards the short man and smiled softly, hoping he wouldn’t see her reddened cheeks and cloudy eyes. “Almost, Grandpa, almost” she responded, turning her gaze back to the leaves. 

“Finish up with those soon and then come inside for dinner” he called out before returning back into the temple. Rei continued raking leaves, staring at them intensely. Her facade couldn’t last long however, as she dropped the rake to the ground and began to cry, looking up towards the moon.

The next day had passed, and the bell of Shiba Koen Junior High tolled as students excitedly hurried out of the school halls. Minako sighed before opening her shoe locker to grab her brown uwabaki to wear, attempting to shift her mind off Usagi. It had now been four days without her. Surprisingly enough, there had been no sign of the Black Moon during those days. To a certain extent, she was relieved that they didn't make another appearance so they could deal with their grief on their own. But the fact that they had Chibiusa in their clutches worried her.

She shuffled into her shoes and made haste to leave the building, wanting to get home to start on the English homework she was assigned. Even if she wasn’t up to completing it, it was a good distraction.

Minako turned out of the school gates and stopped, staring ahead of her. Osaka Naru, one of Usagi’s closest friends, was outside pasting up missing person fliers. She slowly began to turn away, hoping to creep off undiscovered but to her dismay, Naru noticed her. “Oh...hello. Aren't you one of Usagi's friends?” she queried. Minako nodded and extended her hand, which Naru immediately took. “I'm Aino Minako, from Shiba Koen”.

“Osaka Naru” she replied sadly, before looking upon her pile of undistributed fliers. “She's been one of my closest friends since we were young. I thought it would stay that way forever. But for awhile now, I can't help but feel like there's a part of Usagi's life that I'll never be able to see”. 

Minako looked at the girl, not knowing what to say to that. Naru glanced back up at her, looking hopeful and desperate, ready to ask the question that Minako was dreading. “Aino-san, was Usagi-chan keeping any secrets? Anything to do with her disappearance? Do you know anything?” she asked, grasping her fliers tighter in her palms.

“I don't know anything, sorry” Minako responded, almost robotically. 

“I don't believe you. I feel you know something about all of this. About why Usagi-chan kept leaving class at odd times. About why she's disappeared. It's better to have a clear conscious”.

It was then that Minako resumed backing away slowly. She fumbled with her bag and tried turning away from Naru. “I should go…” she muttered, trying to edge herself away slowly.

“Aino-san, please just answer me!”.

“Sorry, maybe another time Osaka-san” she cried out, taking off down the street at breakneck speed. She ran through the crowds of students leaving the school, past a red light where she caused a car to screech to a halt. Minako yelled a quick apology at the yelling driver and continued to run until she reached a safe distance from Naru. It was then her communicator started going off, blinking green lights to indicate the call was from Makoto. Minako clicked the lid open and out came a slightly fuzzy noise. “Mako-chan? What’s up?”.

“It's Rei-chan. She didn't show up outside school to meet us today. We were wondering if you knew where she is?” Makoto asked, her voice becoming crackly. Minako groaned in frustration, silently cursing the bad repair job Artemis had given to her communicator.  “She probably skipped today and stayed home.I know I felt like it, after what happened” she replied, not really taking this news seriously. 

“Could you please go check on her? Ami-chan and I will be there as soon as we can, but we missed the bus”.

“Sure. I bet she’s fine though” Minako responded, before clicking the communicator shut. With that, she started to make her way towards Hikawa Shrine, and after a bus ride and a 15 minute walk, she had made it. The first thing that raised suspicion was that the grounds were empty. Usually Rei was out performing her miko duties or groundskeeping but she was nowhere to be seen. Minako glanced  over at the rake seemingly abandoned by a small pile of leaves. It was odd, but not enough to make her worry.

“Rei-chan! It's me, Minako, are you ok?” she called out, with the only response being from Rei’s crows Phobos and Deimos. Minako stared at the shrine quizzically, moving closer towards the side entrance where Rei and her grandfather lived. She slid open one of the doors and called out once more. “Rei? C'mon girl, at least answer…” she said, climbing up the steps into the shrine. It was quiet and dark, the only source of light being a few lighted candles on a side table. She slowly crept through the hallway, only to find the door to Rei’s bedroom wide open. Minako peered in and sighed. No sign of Rei in there either. 

It was now she started to worry, as she turned away and began to walk down the shrine hallway once more. She checked the prayer room and found it empty. She sighed and turned towards the hallway before stopping herself. It was faint, but Minako could swear she heard the sound of running water. Her suspicions were confirmed when the further she got to the bathroom, the floor began to get damper, eventually becoming flooded with water. “Come on, Rei, stop messing around. Ami-chan and Mako-chan are worried about you and to be honest, I am as well” she said, her voice becoming wobbly with fear. Once she reached the dreaded door, her heart was racing and her breath heavy. Water was creeping out from under the door, and the rushing of water made it clear that the bathtub was running. Silently, she gripped the door and slid it open, and upon seeing what lay before her, screamed in horror.

Before her was a bathtub, running over the brim and covering the bathroom floor with water. Rei was laying in the middle of the tub, unconscious. She almost looked to be not breathing, though it was hard to tell with her head propped up against the bathtub’s edge. Next to her was the thing that confirmed Minako’s fears: a half empty bottle of pills. The bottle had been tipped over, with many of the pills flowing out into the water below. 

Minako rushed forward, almost slipping on the water, catching herself on one of the towel racks. “Rei-chan! Rei-chan?!” she cried out, reaching into the water to her friends unconscious body. “Rei-chan?! You didn't...you couldn't....” she said, tears streaming out of her eyes as she attempted to heave the girl out of the water. Grasping onto Rei’s shoulders, she reached for her communicator and clicked it, sending a message to Ami and Makoto. “Everyone! Come to Hikawa Shrine, quick!” she shouted, struggling to keep Rei’s head afloat and from hitting the water.

“Minako-chan? What's wrong?”.

“I've found Rei...I think she tried to kill herself...come quick!”. The communicator clicked off and Minako dropped Rei into the bathwater, trying to position herself so she wouldn’t drown. Checking that she was safe once more, she rushed out of the bathroom trying to find a telephone that she could call the ambulance with. Thankfully, she located one down the hall. Minako grabbed the receiver and punched in the numbers for the emergency services. She quickly explained what was happening and gave the address before hanging up.

Streets away, Ami and Makoto were running towards Hikawa Shrine as fast as they could. They had received Minako’s call on the bus and were forced to vacate it, meaning they were further away from the shrine than they hoped. When at last they made it there, the area had already been cordoned off with police tape and an ambulance waiting there. Makoto stepped forward, trying to see what was going on but was stopped by a young police officer.

“Please step aside girls, this is a police operation-”.

“She's our friend! Let us through!” Ami bawled.

“I can't allow that under any circumstance” the officer replied, before leaving them to talk to one of his colleagues. At that moment, a stretcher was being pushed through towards the ambulance. Rei is strapped inside it, unconscious and pale. Ami gasped in horror while Makoto gripped her arms, silently crying to herself. The stretcher was hoisted into the ambulance and the doors closed, with the ambulance proceeding to speed off. 

Makoto turned towards the officer they spoke to before and waved him over. “Can you at least tell us where Minako-chan is?” she begged. The officer gave her a funny look before replying “Aino Minako? She’ll be free in a few minutes, after she’s done being questioned”.

Ami slumped down to the ground and held her knees in shock. First Usagi, now Rei? Was it just a matter of time before they were all picked off? Tears streamed out of her bright blue eyes as she tried to hide herself from the world. It was embarrassing to be like this, so hopeless and lost in what to do. Though, when she felt Makoto’s hand touch her shoulder, she looked up at the tall brunette. Makoto said nothing, only crouching down to give Ami a hug. And for where they were now, they both really needed it. 

Chibiusa was not doing the best either. She had been dumped in one of the castles spare rooms, left to herself and her own thoughts. Her small mind replayed Usagi’s death over and over as if it were trying to torture her. She barely ate anything, and had taken to cowering in the corner behind a large dresser.

It was that day she heard the door click and look up, seeing Hikari enter. Chibiusa shuffled away, returning her gaze towards her knees. She tried to ignore Hikari’s presence, but when she came to sit down next to her, it became increasingly hard to. “Why are you here…” she muttered.

“I want to see if your ok”.

Chibiusa turned to face Hikari, her face bright with anger. “Nothings ok! Nothing! How could you do that? How could you kill Sailor Moon?” she shouted, glaring intensely at Hikari and hoping she’d just go away. She’d rather face any other member of the Black Moon rather than this girl.

“I know. I have committed sins that can't be atoned for. I don't even know why...I guess, not everything is as it seems at the moment” Hikari replied, looking down at the child sadly. Chibiusa spat at her, thinking of how she wanted to make these people pay for what they did to her mother. 

Hikari chose to ignore Chibiusa’s petulance and leaned back into the wall, staring up into the ceiling. “It must have been a shock to find out who your mother really was. The invincible Sailor Moon from legend turning out to be a crybaby? I'd be disappointed too” she said, almost casually in her tone. Chibiusa looked up at Hikari, feeling confused, before suddenly knowing exactly what she meant. 

_ Her father and her were walking the banks of the Crystal Tokyo river, in the glimmering sunset. She had been harassed by a group of children again, and had run towards Endymion for comfort. _

_ “The legendary guardian, Sailor Moon, is invincible. Nothing can defeat her” Endymion explained, staring towards the sunset.  Chibiusa looked up at him in disbelief. “How is that possible?” she asked, still wiping tears away from her eyes.  _

_ “With a strong heart, and true friends by her side, her power becomes unstoppable. These things fuel the magic of the Legendary Silver Crystal, and protects our universe from evil-doers and despair”. _

_ Chibiusa looked down at her feet, gripping her hands tightly. “I may be her daughter, but I'm nothing like her. I have no power, and i'm not brave, and...I don't have any friends”. _

Chibiusa sniffed, hugging onto her knees tightly. Hikari noticed this and shook her head, before continuing on with her ramble. “They say her greatest strength was always the friendships she forged. They gave her hope, and light” she prattled, before scoffing in disgust. “Lucky her I guess. Not all of us are so worthy to be well-liked and valued by our peers”.

“What do you mean?”.

Hikari stared down at her, looking genuinely surprised that Chibiusa was actually responding to her. “Your mother is the type of person everyone likes. She's warm, energetic and kind. I'm almost jealous. I've never been able to have that much ease in making friends” she stumbled, remembering back to her life at Sakiru Saoi. She scrunched up her face when remember Caprice. If she could, she’d still punch her stupid face. 

Chibiusa glanced the girl up and down, trying to figure her out. “Is that why you...?”.

“No. Not at all. It all happened so fast. I don't even know what I was doing” Hikari replied, shaking her head thoroughly. She paused momentarily before looking down at the child. “Have you ever felt like that? Like you're all alone in the universe, with nobody to turn to?”. The small girl recoiled slightly, a memory bubbling below the surface of her mind. She didn’t want to remember those kids, those cruel words…

_ She was backed into the corner of the playground, her heart racing fast, so fast she could hear it’s beats in her chest. Before her was a white stone wall, overshadowed by the figures of three boy standing behind her. Chibiusa turned, looking up at their smug and sadistic faces, frightened of what they’ll say, or worse, do. These boys were slightly older than her, and were just the new members of a wave of bullying that she had been subjected to all year. _

_ “Hey munchkin, why don't you ever grow bigger?” one of them goaded, pushing Chibiusa further into the wall. Her eyes began to fill up with tears, her legs shaking with fear. _

_ “You'll never be Queen, in fact, you barely even look like Neo-Queen Serenity!”. _

_ “Go away! Leave me alone!” Chibiusa cried, holding her hands close and making herself look small. The bullies continued, one of the laughing in her face. “In fact, I bet your not even the real princess. With that hair and freaky eyes, you look closer to a bunny rabbit than an heir to the throne!” he cajoled, before turning to his friends and placing his fingers above his head, trying to imitate and mock her buns.  _

_ “Not to mention having no mark of the Silver Millenium”. _

_ Chibiusa grabbed on to her pigtails and cried into them. “Stop it! Please stop it!” she pleaded.  _

_ Later on, she was with her dad, sitting on a bench on the rivers waterfront. She had stopped crying for the most part, wiping stray tears from her face. Her father stroked her hair, looking down at her with a bright and comforting smile. “Small Lady…you know, when she was younger, the Queen was quite the crybaby to” he revealed. _

_ “Really?”. _

_ “Yes. Your more like her than you think. She named you Small Lady as it was her wish for you to grow up as a fine, beautiful lady, fit to take her place”. _

_ Chibiusa blinked slowly, before shaking her head in disbelief. ‘That can't be true. I'm nothing like mama...she's so beautiful and powerful, and I can't ever grow up so i'll never be a real lady. Mama's so perfect, and Papa loves her so much’. _

“I guess so…”.

“When you feel so isolated, so harassed and degraded, you can end up doing some crazy things. For me, I ended up acting out in front of others, asking about time-travelling aliens. It didn't help my image at all and just made everything worse” Hikari continued, staring off into the distance darkly. 

Chibiusa stared at her, feeling an odd kind of sympathy for the girl. For a moment anyhow. She then proceeded to shake her head and turn away from the brunette Sailor Soldier, her eyes beginning to cloud with tears.

“But, you don't want to hear about me. Chibiusa, I want to ask you something…”.

These words made Chibiusa freeze up. That was the one thing always guaranteed to make her nervous - somebody wanting to question her. She started fidgeting with her hands as she looked up at Hikari, trying to swallow her fear. “What is it? What do you want to know?” she whispered.

“It's about Crystal Tokyo...and the Legendary Silver Crystal. Whatever happened to it? Why was the city left vulnerable” Hikari asked. It was the question Chibiusa had been fearing, the one she hoped nobody would ever ask her again. That day, the day when Crystal Tokyo fell to the power of the Black Moon...she didn’t want to, no, she refused to remember it! And yet still, the memories crept up into her mind, weaving their way through her thoughts.

  
  


_ She was running down the halls of the Crystal Palace, her small legs moving fast with a determined look spread across her face. The voices of those mean kids echoed through her mind, one in particular sticking. “A real princess of Silver Millenium would be able to use the Silver Crystal. So do it! Do your worst. Use your powers on us! If you are the Queen’s daughter, you'd be able to”. Chibiusa spat in disgust. She’ll show him. She’ll show them all. _

_ At last, Chibiusa had reached a large set of white doors, engraved with carvings of a lotus crystal and crescent moons. She pushed the door open and gasped. There it was, the Legendary Silver Crystal. It was encased in quartz and set atop a large marble pedestal, purple curtains draping over the surroundings. Slowly, she walked up to the crystal and raised her Luna P toy above her head. Taking a deep breath, Chibiusa hit it against the quartz case, breaking it instantly. Looking up, she dropped Luna P and grasped out for the Silver Crystal. _

_ “I’ll prove them...I’ll prove them all wrong!”. _

_ The sound of heels against a glass floor alerted Chibiusa of someone else’s presence. Without thinking, she grabbed the Silver Crystal and hurried behind the curtains just as her mother, Neo-Queen Serenity walked in. “Small Lady? Small Lady, are you here?” she called out, surveying the room before gasping. “The Legendary Silver Crystal! It's gone! Small Lady!” Serenity called, leaving the room in a hurry. Chibiusa looked down, grasping the Silver Crystal tightly in her small palms. Suddenly, the room started to shake violently as a huge ray of light filled the room. A loud explosion happened outside, or at least she was sure it was. _

_ After the room cleared, her ears were ringing from the loud noise. “What was that? Mama...mama where are you?” she whispered, rushing towards one of the large windows that faced the front of the palace. Outside, the city was absolutely decimated, with buildings crumbling and melting before her. She gasped and raced out into the hall, eager to reach the front of the palace. When she did, she wished she had just stayed in the palace, because in front of her lay her mother, crystallised in fragments of the Legendary Silver Crystal. _

“You took it, didn't you”.

Chibiusa grabbed her forearms and wept into her knees. It was all too much for her to be like this. At that moment, she just wanted to be home. “I didn't...I just wanted to be like her…” Chibiusa stuttered, sobbing uncontrollably.

Hikari placed her hand on Chibiusa’s shoulder, looking down at her with pity. “I know you took the Silver Crystal. I've known it for a long time. Why else would I be in here?” she said, sighing. “Chibiusa...you must keep the Silver Crystal away from Wiseman. In fact, if Wiseman even tries to come near you, ignore what he says. Do not listen to him”.

“Who's Wiseman?”.

“An evil person who's not to be trusted”.

Chibiusa shrugged off Hikari’s hand, glaring at her through the tears. “More evil than you?” she whimpered. “Ok, ouch...but yes. Do not listen to him. No matter what, do not do as he says!” Hikari responded, standing up. She shot Chibiusa one last sympathetic glance before exiting the room, locking both doors behind her. 

Ami, Minako and Makoto were waiting in the lobby of the local hospital, waiting for news. It had been a few hours since they found Rei at her home, slowly dying. They knew it would take a few hours to treat her, but that didn’t quench their worries one bit. All of them were almost relieved when a nurse came in and escorted them to the room Rei was in. 

Once they stepped inside, they say Rei, lying in the hospital bed wearing a standard issue nightgown. She looked tired, with her eyes being bloodshot and watery. She looked towards the group and smiled, a twinge of guilt hiding underneath her sad eyes. “Everyone...your here” she whispered.

Minako came up to her, pulling up a chair so she could sit next to her. “Why did you do it, Rei-chan?” she murmured.

“Did you really think...Did you really think after Usagi we could handle losing you?” Ami sputtered, wiping tears that had gathered in her eyes. 

“I'm sorry...I mean it. All I was thinking of is seeing Usagi-chan again”.

“I know you've taken it harder than all of us, with what happened” Minako whispered, grasping out for Rei’s hand. To her delight, Rei smiled and clasped her hand tightly. Her happiness was momentary however, as almost instantly after, her brows creased and her eyes became dark. “It's my fault” she replied. “And I was ready to accept that”.

“No, it isn't. If we want to pin blame, blame Sailor Stellar. The actual murderer. We all tried our best, and we have to be strong. It's what Usagi would have wanted”.

Rei glanced out the window beside her bed, a pensive look forming on her porcelain face. “What are we going to do now that she's gone? Without the Silver Crystal is there any hope left?” she asked, not wanting to look at her friends dismayed faces. 

“I don't know, but we have to try. For Usagi” Minako pressed. She tried to sound hopeful, but it was tough faking it. In all honesty, she thought that without the Legendary Silver Crystal that they were ought to fail. Turning back around to her fellow teammates, Minako evaluated their expressions to try to grasp what they were feeling. Ami was looking crestfallen, trying to fight back tears, whereas Makoto looked sullen, but ready for a fight.

“When will you be able to leave here?” Ami asked Rei, to which the raven haired girl rolled her eyes and muttered “Four days or so. They said more tests need to be run, that I need to recover from the stomach pumping. To be honest, I just think they're worried I'll hurt myself again”. 

“Well, I can see where they’re coming from. We’re all worried for your safety Rei-chan” Makoto chimed in. “We don't know when the enemy will strike next, but if we have to, we'll fight”.

Ami nodded, sharing the same sentiments as Makoto. “I agree. Even if you can't be with us Rei-chan, we'll fight” she announced.

“We'll take down Black Moon and make them pay for what happened to Usagi!” Minako exclaimed, molding her hand into the shape of a fist and grasping onto her school skirt tightly. Even if it was a long shot, they had to do this. If a peaceful future was to ever come around, they’d have to fight. Even if that future wasn’t exactly Crystal Tokyo, they’d make sure the future would be a prosperous one.

Back on Nemesis, Chibiusa was pacing around the locked room. She had tried finding things to pick the lock with, but came up with nothing. The room must have been cleared out before she got there. After trying to observe the room to establish possible exits, she came up with nothing.  _ This would be easier if I had powers...or knew how to work this stupid crystal _ . Chibiusa glanced down at the Silver Crystal, which she managed to keep hidden from Stellar when she had been searched. Glaring at it, she was almost tempted to smash it on the floor in anger, though she knew not to. She had already made one mistake. If the crystal ended up destroyed, there was no hope in saving the future.

Dark mist began to form behind her, molding into the shape of a cloaked figure. The noise of the smoke made Chibiusa turn around and, once seeing who was standing behind her, gasped in fear.

“Who’s there?” she mumbled, looking up at the mysterious cloaked figure. 

“Ah, so it was true. Stellar did manage to do something useful and capture you” Wiseman said, summoning his mystical crystal ball. Chibiusa began to tremble and slowly back away in fear, with beads of perspiration forming on her forehead. “Who are you?” she asked.

“I think you should already know of me, Rabbit. Didn't they warn you about me?” he smirked, causing Chibiusa to realise who he was. It was Wiseman, the entity that Sailor Stellar had warned about. She screamed and tried breaking into a run, but found herself stopped. She struggled, trying to move her limbs, before realising she had been frozen in time. It's no use, little Rabbit. This palace is under my territory, and therefore under my influence” he cackled, waving his hands over the crystal ball. “I can see it. The terror lurking in your heart, abandoned in the corner of your mind, wrapped in a veil, those memories of the Legendary Silver Crystal…”.

There it was again. Those same memories began pouring through her mind at an alarming rate. She felt herself released from Wiseman’s magic, but failed to notice, instead cowering in fear of the memories she tried so hard to repress. “Stop it! No!” she screamed, holding her hands over her ears.

“And you, fearful of the crime you committed, tried blocking it out from your own memory” Wiseman continued, summoning clouds of dark mist to surround Chibiusa. 

“Leave me alone! I didn’t do anything wrong!”.

“Well, let's see what they say about it…” Wiseman said, waving his hands over the crystal ball. Suddenly, the mist surrounding Chibiusa began to form into the shape of humans, slowly forming themselves into exact images of the Sailor Soldiers. The small child looked up at the group and whimpered in fear as the Soldiers stared at her in disdain. “Stupid Chibiusa! How could you do that?” Mars yelled, glaring furiously.

“It's all because you stole the Silver Crystal!” Jupiter cried out, crossing her arms.

“The Queen went outside the palace in search of you” Venus screamed, pointing her finger at Chibiusa accusingly as her cold eyes bore through the young girl.

“And that's why she was attacked. It's all your fault!”.

“Stop it! Go away!” Chibiusa shrieked, falling to the floor in agony. That was it. They all knew. They all knew it was her fault that everything happened. She knew they’d never understand, and she knew that they’d never forgive her for the crimes she committed.

“Chibiusa-chan?”.

Chibiusa gasped, instantly recognising the owner of the voice. Looking up, she noticed the Sailor Soldiers had vanished, being replaced by mist in front of her. The voice called out once again, causing her to freeze up. Slowly, she turned to see Sailor Moon standing behind her. Chibiusa screamed, noticing that under Moon’s left hand was a large bloody wound, with large drops of blood streaming out of her mouth. “Why did you let me die? Why did you steal the crystal? If you never took it, I wouldn't have died!” Sailor Moon croaked, stumbling slowly towards Chibiusa. 

“It was Stellar who killed you, not me!” Chibiusa sobbed, her face turning white with fear as blood from the wound began to spill on the floor. 

“You lied...you lied about the crystal...you lied...and I died” Moon stuttered, slowly shuffling towards Chibiusa. Blood had started to fall around her eyes too, slowly dripping down her porcelain cheeks. “No...it isn’t true! Stop it!” Chibiusa gasped, slowly backing away from the apparition that stood before her, holding her hands high over her ears.  _ This can’t be real! It can’t be, it can’t be... _

“You lied and I died!”.

By now Chibiusa was full on sobbing and curled herself up into a tiny ball. Sailor Moon continued to edge closer, mountains of blood spilling with every step, continuing her relentless chant. “I just wanted to be a lady like Mama…” she sobbed, hugging her knees tightly. Suddenly, the pools of blood in front of her had vanished. She looked up to instead see Wiseman, his hands poised over his mystical crystal ball. “Have no fear, little one. You are correct, it was never your fault” his voice crackled. 

“But everyone thinks it's my fault…” Chibiusa sniffed, still holding herself small. 

Wiseman’s voice boomed, filling the entire space with every depth of his deception. “You must assert your innocence by force! If you want to be understood, and become a true lady, you must stand up and fight!” he commanded. Chibiusa’s ears pricked up.  _ Assert my innocence? What does he mean?  _ Slowly, she picked herself up from the floor, assuring to keep her distance as a precaution. “I...can do that? I can make everyone believe me?”.

“You can do more than that, little one. You can gain the respect you've always desired”.

Her mind flashed to all those moments of bullying, all the times she felt small and insignificant, where she looked upon her mother and felt jealous and inadequate. She could almost hear her tormentors say it now.  _ “You’ll never be a real lady!”. _

“How do I do it?” Chibiusa asked. 

Wiseman chuckled, and stretched his hand forward, inviting Chibiusa to hold it. “Take my hand, Small Lady. It's as simple as that” his voice bellowed, eyes glowing under his cloak. Chibiusa reached forward before pausing. She took a brief look at the figure in front of her - a tall cloaked figure with creepy multicoloured hands and long, unkempt nails. Should she trust him? Her mind flashed to what Stellar had told her earlier as she slowly stepped back. “But...Stellar said I shouldn't trust you…” Chibiusa mumbled, pulling her hand away from Wiseman. 

“Will you really believe the person who caused your mother to die? The person who destroyed your future and murdered Sailor Moon in cold blood?” Wiseman chided, waving his hand over his crystal ball. “Perhaps you need reminding…”.

In about 30 seconds flat, every memory Chibiusa had of Crystal Tokyo’s destruction played across her mind, flashing so quickly that she could barely realise what was going on. The images shifted to Sailor Moon, a sword deep in her stomach, blood spilling out everywhere. “No!” Chibiusa screamed, falling to her knees in shock.

“Now, do you want to join me, and gain all the power and respect in the universe, or stay as you are, a helpless small child who committed high treason?”.

Chibiusa stared up at him and slowly reached for his mystic hand. The instant she touched him, she felt a shock run through her body, turning into a darkness that she had never felt before. Wiseman cackled as the pair began to be engulfed by rays of light, consuming both of them into its midst.

Mamoru abruptly jolted up out of bed, awakening him from his slumber. He scanned the room, trying to figure out what had caused him to react that way. Once realising there was no danger, he settled, only slightly though, as he could hear a faint whisper in the back of his head.

_ Mamo-chan… _

Who was that speaking to his mind? The voice sounded young, almost like that of a child’s voice. Mamoru couldn’t tell if it was real, or he was actually still passed out in bed and dreaming this. Shaking his head, he positioned himself against the bed, glaring into the sheets. He was sure that he was still half asleep, as his vision was clouded and blurry. Looking around, Mamoru managed to catch a glimpse of his alarm clock. 1:12 AM it read. No wonder he was tired. 

As his vision began to clear, the photo frame next to his bed caught his eye. A picture of him and Usagi, taken days after the Dark Kingdoms defeat. Usagi’s face was glowing with joy as she held onto his arm, while Mamoru’s expression remained more subdued. Reaching out for the frame, he gripped it tightly in his hands. If only the last they’d spoken had been as pleasant as the photo before him conveyed.  _ I could have done something...anything to stop it. I could have used my powers, but I just froze, like a useless figurehead. The last times we talked...Usako...I should have said I love you… _

It wasn’t long before she had been first captured that they last properly spoken. At first everything seemed normal - Mamoru had returned home from school to see Usagi waiting outside his apartment. What was different is that the expression she bore was full of doubt, her hands anxiously fidgeting with her hair. He went up to her and patted her on the head, greeting her in his usual fashion. It was when she said “Mamo-chan...I need to talk to you” was when things turned for the worse. He had brought her into his apartment, sat her down in the living room and faced her with a concerned look. Usagi’s anxiety hadn’t seemed to settle, so Mamoru had sat next to her to try and comfort her. “What's wrong, Usako? You seem tense” he asked.

Usagi had responded by groaning in frustration, her eyes glazing over with the intensity of her nerves. “Mamo-chan...lately, it seems that all you ever think about is Chibiusa. Is Chibiusa...really that cute?” she mumbled, grabbing the edges of her dress into her palms and scrunching them. To this, Mamoru had simply blinked in response. “What are you talking about Usako? What do you-” he started, feeling confused before realising what she was saying, and changing his tone indignantly. In an almost disgusted tone, he blurted, “You can't possibly think me and Chibiusa...she's a little kid Usagi!”.

“Chibiusa loves you! Don't you know that?” Usagi fired back, now looking up at him with a face full of tears.

“She's a little kid Usagi! For fucks sake, what do you take me for?” Mamoru shouted, becoming infuriated. It’s one thing for Usagi to be jealous, but for her to practically accuse him of being a predator? That was one step too far. Usagi stood up and crossed her arms, staring him down in anger. Mamoru fired back with a glare of his own. Normally he wouldn’t stoop to this level of immaturity, but at the behest of such nonsense he felt out of control of his emotions. How could she even come to think of him as this? How could she be jealous of a frightened little girl who was lost and scared, suffering most likely from trauma?

“So what? No matter how little she may be, she's still a woman!”.

“No, she's a little girl, years away from being a woman. What's wrong with you lately? You’re a middle-schooler getting jealous over a girl in elementary school!” Mamoru countered.

The tears in Usagi’s eyes had thickened at that point, and were falling so rapidly they formed a waterfall down her bright red cheeks. It was then she stepped back and started wiping her eyes, sobbing into them quietly. “I just...i'm sorry, it's pathetic I know. I just think…” she blubbered, placing a hand over her eyes to try and stifle the flow of tears, slowly stepping back away from Mamoru. Normally he’d cave and comfort her, and he almost did. Almost. But instead, he gripped his fist and shook his head swiftly, letting out a frustrated groan. “Usagi, your making it sound like i'm a predator that wants to prey on Chibiusa. What the hell?” Mamoru snapped, staring intensely into the carpet. It killed him so much to see his angel cry, but he couldn’t let this go. Usagi was being irrational.

“I just want you to care about me like you do with her!” Usagi gasped in reply, her words becoming disjointed and almost incoherent. There was an uncomfortable few seconds of silence punctured by Usagi’s cries, before Mamoru decided he had enough. Moving silently, he reached the front of his apartment and opened the door, before turning back towards Usagi and sternly announcing “You need to leave”.

“Mamo-chan…”.

“Usagi, we’ll talk later. But for now, leave” he reiterated, gesturing towards the open door. Usagi gulped and slowly made her way out, holding her arms close while Mamoru swung the door shut behind her. The instant she was gone, a wave of regret rushed over him, causing his head to fall to his hands. As Mamoru reflected back on these memories, he felt a sharp pang of guilt wring throughout his chest. Producing his watch from the side of his bed, he looked upon it and held it along with the photo frame.  _ We should have made up before then. Now she's gone, and she'll never know how much I regret snapping at her that night. I'll never be able to forgive myself. _

Hours before, on the other side of Tokyo, Kiyomi was making her way back from a brief visit to the convenience store. She hadn’t picked up much - a canister of instant coffee, potato chips and milk. She shivered, feeling a cold breeze rush across her exposed arms. It was autumn, or at least she thought it was. Honestly, she forgot what month it was even at that point. Approaching the onset of a large park, she decided to cut through it - hopefully saving some time getting back home. The park wasn’t very large, and being so late into the evening didn’t have many patrons. Kiyomi cut through the trees with ease, not giving much thought to her surroundings. However, upon passing a particular bench, her mind was reawakened from it’s haze as she glanced at who sat on it, and in turn, shot an annoyed look at who was taking up residence on the aforementioned bench. 

“Are you following me?” she asked, unamused by her former friend Hikari’s presence. Hikari turned towards her and sheepishly smiled, somehow managing to make Kiyomi even more irritated than she already was. “What? No, no!” Hikari replied, almost trying to laugh off this encounter. Her laughter quickly died down upon registering Kiyomi’s unamused look. “...Yeah, I am kinda. Sorry”.

Kiyomi sighed in frustration, before sliding onto the bench next to her. “Ok, what do you want?” she asked, praying this would be over quickly.

“To explain myself for what happened with Sailor Moon”.

To that, Kiyomi scoffed. “Have you finally decided why you literally murdered someone?” she snarled, rolling her eyes at Hikari’s pleading expression. 

“I mean it, I don't know what I was doing. Everything was so quick, and believe me when I saw I regret what happened. If I knew how I could reverse it, I would” Hikari said. She sounded like she meant it, but what good was relenting now? A person died. Some sins can’t be forgiven.

Kiyomi began to leave, gathering her shopping bag and delivering a callous “Don't the terrorists you hang with have a way to get back in time? Ask them for help”. She has almost fully turned away when she felt Hikari’s hand grab onto her arm. She glared at her, trying to wrangle herself free. 

“Kiyomi-chan, can you just listen-”.

“No! Stop trying to defend this. Your hero-worship has clouded your judgement. I know exactly what happened here; Demande wanted Sailor Moon, you were jealous and killed her in a fit of rage. And now...you're asking everyone to forgive you?” Kiyomi spat, pulling her arm away from Hikari’s grip. “It's like I don't even know you anymore Hikari, and if there's no reason for me to be in this universe, then I want to go home. I miss my family!”. 

“You know I have no power to do that”.

“Then stop trying to talk to me. From now on, I'm with the Sailor Soldiers”. After shooting Hikari one last dirty look, Kiyomi hastily ran off, trying to find her way out of the park as fast as possible. She didn’t even look back to see Hikari’s reaction - all that was on her mind was getting back to Hinata-san and resting. She made a mental note to seek out the Sailor Soldiers as soon as possible, before finding herself free from the park and in a street surrounded by a flurry of flashing city lights. She turned back to look at the park briefly, before rushing forward. Hikari was part of her past. Her future started now.  


End file.
